Evolving
by Simon Diamond
Summary: Molly Holly takes her mean streak to a new level, as she seeks to avenge the head shaving incident at WM XX, with the help of Evolution... Chapter 18: Molly and Hunter get to know each other better...
1. ‘Is this 'be nice to Molly night'’

_Characters: Molly Holly/Evolution_

_Disclaimer: The following is a fictional story, the characters being property of the WWE. I don't own any rights, and don't intend to make a dime from this story; it is purely for enjoyment only._

**Chapter 1: 'Is this 'be nice to Molly night' or something?'**

"Damn it, I knew I should have set off earlier."

Tires screeching, the classic convertible ground to an abrupt halt in the parking lot and the driver hurriedly clambered out. Clearly flustered by her late arrival, she picked up her gear and broke into a jog to get backstage.

Molly was a stickler for punctuality, so she had let her own very high standards slip. It was hardly ideal preparation for that night's show, especially as she had no idea whether she would be performing or not. Upon reaching the backstage area of the arena, she saw the familiar face of Gail Kim, who looked at her wrist as if to say 'where've you been?'

"Not now Gail, I'm not in the mood okay." Molly said abruptly.

Gail shrugged her shoulders as Molly bundled her way through. "Molly, somebody gave me a message to pass on."

Molly stopped dead in her tracks, threw her kit to the ground and turned to face her oriental colleague. Hands on hips, she impatiently asked who, "well are you going to spit it out?"

"Keep your hair on Molly!" Gail's quip went down like a lead balloon after what Molly had endured earlier that year at Wrestlemania – when Victoria saw fit to shave all her hair off. Despite the fact her brown hair had now grown back to shoulder length, Molly proved she was not in a jovial mood, as she marched over to Gail and pinned her against the wall. She loathed being reminded of one of the worst moments of her life.

"Listen Gail, cut the crap. Either you tell me this message now, or I will beat it out of you!"

The fear in Gail's eyes was evident as Molly applied a painful choke with her right hand. She squeaked out a breathless answer, "The G.M. wants to... hu... see you."

Molly held the choke for a few more excruciating seconds, before relinquishing her grip. She growled in discontent to Gail, flicking her hair out of her eyes, brushing herself down and then turning her back on her.

Gail happened to be one of her few 'friends', so her display of fury didn't make a whole lot of sense; she was only trying to be friendly after all. Whilst most of her peers would have viewed her actions to be reprehensible, one onlooker had witnessed her display of violence and liked what he saw; just what he had been looking for in fact.

Molly burst her way into the women's dressing room, slamming the door behind her. The room being empty, she tossed her bags into her locker and paused for a moment. She was out of puff after her clash with Gail, and needed a second or two to compose herself. A brief glance at a mirror in the changing area suggested that she needed to settle down somewhat. Her pride and joy, her silky locks of hair, were a bit of a mess after the scuffle. She ran her fingers through the strands, in a vain attempt to tidy it up – 'hey, at least I don't have to wear those grotesque wigs anymore' she thought to herself.

Her mind turned to the pending meeting with Eric Bischoff, the Raw G.M. She was pretty sure it was going to be a reprimand for her late arrival; she couldn't expect anything else really. There was only one way to find out, and that was to confront the guy right away.

On her way to his office she stumbled upon something of a roadblock in one of the narrow corridors of the backstage area. Four guys blocked her path, and they were not the sort of men you wanted to mess with – bad mood or not. Sheepishly, she put her head down and hoped she could slip past without attracting their attention. There would be no such luck, but she was grateful that no hassle was caused.

It was Evolution no less, and to her great surprise, Triple H ushered the other three members to one side to give Molly a way through. She had never really interacted with 'The Game', aside from the usual 'hi's' and 'byes' that everyone tended to do. She didn't know if him showing a nice side to his personality was a good thing or not, as most people found out with Hunter, he usually expects something in return.

"How you doing Molly?" Hunter asked, seeming sincere as he offered a rarely seen grin. It was hardly astounding that Molly was somewhat intimidated by the man mountain's presence, and all she could offer in return was a nervous smile. She crept through the gap made for her and continued on her way to Bischoff's office, letting out a distinct sigh of relief for the lack of confrontation. Picking fights on her fellow divas was one thing, but picking fights with a group of guys harbouring evil intentions was not high on her list of priorities.

"How you doing Molly?" Ric mocked Hunter's remark, "You're not going soft are you!" HHH did little to hide any embarrassment, but you could guarantee there was some sort of ulterior motive – he never handed out complements lightly and very rarely showed any interest in anybody else's affairs. Look after number one, was his motto.

He shook his head and left the rest of the team to scratch their heads about what they had just witnessed. "Molly Holly?!" Randy joked, aghast at the thought of his leader having a soft spot for her, "I mean have you seen the size of her ass?" Dave and Ric could only look at each other and chuckle at the observations of Evolutions resident protégé.

Most people would have felt a great sense of trepidation upon being summoned to Bischoff's office, especially if they had done something to incur his wrath. Molly didn't feel that anxious, her professional relationship with him had always been good in the past. 'Keep the boss happy and the boss will always be happy with you' was her way of looking at it.

Reaching his office, she knocked twice on the door, and awaited his call. She resolved to be apologetic and take whatever punishment he decided to dole out to her.

"Come in!" he yelled in his usual short-tempered manner. Molly gingerly opened the door and crept into his office, like a naughty school girl. Yes, hands behind her back and all.

"Ah, Molly. I've been waiting for you." He gave her another trademark of his, a sly grin that doesn't tell you if he is pleased or mad with you. It could easily be either of those two emotions. "Shut the door."

Complying with his request, Molly decided to offer an apology immediately, "Listen Mr. Bischoff, I'm really sorry for arriving late. It won't happen again."

Head bowed, she did a pretty good job of looking apologetic, but the full puppy dog eyes routine wasn't required in reality.

"Late?" he paused for a second, keeping Molly on tenterhooks, "Who gives a damn! You're here and that is all that matters, I have some good news for you."

Molly was confused by his disregard for her tardiness, but noticeably relieved at the same time. 'Is this 'be nice to Molly night' or something?' She was intrigued about what he had to say, "What would that be Mr. Bischoff?"

"Please, call me Eric." He said with another dastardly smile, to which Molly gave a nod of approval. "Here's the situation; Vince is not happy with the Women's Division here on Raw. He wants a champion who can give the division a measure of respectability."

Molly liked the sound of this; her initial reaction was that she would fit the bill perfectly.

"He wants a champion who can not only wrestle, but looks good too."

Not so great, even if Mr. McMahon had her in mind. She knew full well that most of the fans liked watching Lita or Victoria for their athleticism and great array of moves, and she couldn't compare with the likes of Trish or Stacy when it came to looks and figure. Ditto Gail. Hell she even felt like Nidia put her in the shade.

"I don't understand Mr. Bisch... I mean Eric." she said, with a puzzled look on her face.

"Well, starting tonight, it's going to be Victoria vs. Molly Holly for the Women's Championship!"

"Great... I think." Molly replied in an underwhelming tone. She couldn't comprehend the logic of this whole situation; for the past few weeks she had only performed on Sunday Night Heat, save for the odd fringe role in tag matches on Raw. There was no buildup to this feud and no real substance to it, unless you go back to what had occurred at Wrestlemania.

"How will this story work?" she asked, "What will the fans think?"

Eric was not concerned about the fans, and made it perfectly clear that Molly concerns were irrelevant, "Listen Molly, forget all the reasoning, just promise me you will go out there tonight and destroy Victoria!"

'With pleasure' she thought, avenging the head shaving incident along with capturing the title was all the incentive she needed.

"Let's just say that a good performance tonight will lead to bigger and better things." Bischoff added, just as Molly was about to leave. She glanced over her shoulder to see him wink. Not exactly her idea of fun, but being on the right side of the G.M. was certainly a good thing for her career development.

"Bye Molly." He really did admire the young diva, and got immense satisfaction from helping her out. He didn't need an excuse to eye her figure as she departed the room.

For the petite Minnesotan, this was a big break. The past few bleak months would be a thing of the past, if she could take down Victoria in the championship match that night. Thoroughly determined, she headed back to the women's locker room to change in preparation for her test.


	2. ‘What happened’

_Characters: Molly Holly/Evolution_

_Disclaimer: The following is a fictional story, the characters being property of the WWE. I don't own any rights to any of these characters, and don't intend to make a dime from this story; it is purely for enjoyment only._

**Chapter 2: 'What happened?'**

Molly had not fought in a championship match since that fateful night in New York City, where she not only lost the match, but her precious locks too. She was not the sort of person to naturally exude confidence, so the bombshell of learning she had a shot coming up any minute left her under prepared.

She believed in her own ability though, and whilst lacing up her boots in the locker room, she glanced in the mirror like she had done earlier. 'You can do it Molly' she told herself, knowing full well that chances like this one don't come along every day. She differed from most of the other divas in that she always preferred to wear plain outfits – black pants and a black top with pink trim.

She made her way to the ring entrance and awaited the cue of her music. The adrenaline was already flowing and she just wanted to get out there, and on with the job. There was an untimely interruption though, in the shape of Triple H.

"Molly," he aroused her attention, "good luck in the match."

A thumbs up signified that he was pulling for her, 'for whatever dark reasons go through that evil mind of his' she thought. She didn't want to appear ungrateful, so she nodded her appreciation. She didn't think any more of it, the match was her primary focus.

With Victoria already in the ring, her music came over the P.A. She burst through the curtains and stood at the top of the stage to gauge the reaction of the crowd.

With Victoria being a big fan favourite, Molly's reception was a typical mix of boos, heckling and gesturing. Playing a heel character had its upsides from time to time, but being treated like trailer park trash by the fans week in, week out was not one of them.

In defiance, she ignored all the abuse and strode with purpose down the ramp to the ring, where her nemesis stood with a beaming smile on her face. Molly couldn't wait to wipe that smile off as the bell sounded and the match started.

The early exchanges saw Molly gain the upper hand, keeping her taller opponent at bay by executing several mat based maneuvers and holds. She really went to work on Victoria's neck, utilizing a variety of legal head locks, and the odd illegal one.

She knew Victoria wouldn't be defeated that easily, and had to try and wear her down with more powerful moves. This played into the hands of her opponent who blocked Molly's suplex attempt, reversing it into one of her own.

Molly could do nothing as Victoria unleashed a combination of moves leading into her obligatory standing moonsault. She winced as Victoria tumbled down onto her chest, squeezing the air out of her lungs. She had to be alert to kick out of the attempted pin fall at a two count.

Victoria seemed to be enjoying herself, but by uncharacteristically showboating to the fans, she gave an opportunist Molly the chance to strike back. A drop kick from behind sent Victoria tumbling into the ropes, catching her neck on the bottom one. The blow stunned her and enabled Molly to get in position to perform a Northern Lights suplex; which she did, bridging into a pinning situation. 1... 2... No a kick out before the 3.

Visibly frustrated, Molly headed towards the nearest turnbuckle. She stopped for a split second to look out into the crowd – there were several fans jeering and showing their displeasure towards her. She responded to a couple of young males in the front row who were being particularly rude, which resulted in her making the same mistake as Victoria.

The champion capitalized by striking the challenger across the back of the shoulders and dazing her momentarily. That gave her time to position Molly on the second rope – the ideal place to set her up for the vicious Widow's Peak.

Molly recovered her senses to the realization of her predicament, a tight spot she'd been in far too often in the past. Squirming to break the hold, she fought desperately but to no avail. Victoria brought Molly crashing down onto her knees, crushing her neck and chin in the process.

Molly winced as pain shot through her body, she was out of it. She was not quite out cold, but knew the game was up and the match lost. Waiting for the inevitable cover and three count, she cursed her rotten luck.

The strange thing was, Victoria wasn't trying to pin her. There was no way that she would take mercy on her, Molly had found that out in NYC, so there had to have been some sort of interference. Seemed plausible enough, there were a number of divas lining up to knock Victoria off her perch, but whoever had just jumped into the ring did not appear to tread as lightly as any of the divas.

Molly moved her aching neck as much as she could in order to get a glimpse of who had interrupted the fight, but could only see the referee down on the canvas. 'None of the divas would attack a referee would they?' She knew that it was one of the men on the roster coming to her aid.

A sickening crunch told her that Victoria had suffered at the hands of her mystery ally. Suddenly she could feel her arm being pulled and the sensation of being dragged across the ring; her arm placed over the chest of Victoria.

Her head still a little woozy from the Widow's Peak, she could make out the thumping of the mat, 1... 2... 3... and the ring of the bell. She heard the deafening shrill of the crowd who hissed their disapproval at the outcome of the match. "The winner of the match... and new Women's Champion... Molly Holly!"

As the shock of the bump she had taken wore off, the shock of winning the title in controversial circumstances set in. She was helped to her feet by a different official to the one who began the match, and she shook her head in an attempt to make sense of what had just transpired.

"What happened?" she asked groggily, there was no sign of any outside interference.

"Lets get you to the back Miss Holly." The official swerved on the question as he handed her the prized title belt. She snatched it away from him, before he tried to grab her arm, which incensed her. She threatened to hit him if he didn't back away, which he did wisely by sliding out of the ring. Molly was seething, because she wanted to beat Victoria fair and square.

Sure, she played the bad girl character and would often cheat herself to secure a victory, but the one thing she wasn't keen on was outside interference gifting her wins. Flawed logic perhaps, but the way she set out to play the game.

She flung loose strands of hair out of her eyes, to be confronted by the sorry sight of Victoria lying prone on the mat. A flashback of the haircut from hell passed by her mind's eye and she could only see pay back on the horizon.

Hauling Victoria's limp body up, she laid into her, "Think it's funny now do you? Had your fun didn't you, shaving my head you bitch!"

Victoria was a sorry mess and couldn't offer any resistance as Molly brought the championship belt crashing down on her skull. Raining further blows down on the fallen champ, she showed no remorse, giving each shot every ounce of anger she could muster. Victoria had made her life a misery and she was going to see to it that she suffered the same fate.

A plethora of officials cascaded down the ramp to the ring, to separate the uncontrollable Molly from her bruised and battered enemy. It took several of them to prize her away from the defenceless Victoria, kicking and screaming as she yearned to inflict more punishment. The rage was clear to see in her eyes, a grimace painting a vivid picture of the feelings bouncing around her mind.

The crowd was visibly shocked by her actions. Some continued to show their disgust, but the majority stood their wide mouthed and stunned by what they had just observed. Molly was not sorry at all for what she had just done to Victoria; that was her vengeance.

She cared less what the fans thought at that point in time, they made it perfectly clear they didn't like her, she had nothing to prove to them. She was more concerned, totally preoccupied by the interference in her match. She wanted answers, and they were going to have to be good ones.

She paused at the top of the ramp, glancing across to the announcer's table. J.R. and Jerry Lawler looked as appalled as the fans in the arena.

"What happened?" she asked, hoping to discover who'd run in for the assist.

The commentators weren't interested in being of assistance, "You're sick Molly, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself!" J.R. spoke his mind, the King for once agreeing with his partner.

"Whatever, she had it coming to her!" Molly snorted, and held her newly acquired title above her head in contempt of everyone present.

At that point she had to remind herself that she did win the match, and was the champion. Whilst the circumstances reeked, part of her was ecstatic to hold the gold again – 'her title'.


	3. ‘The Highlight Reel’

_Characters: Molly Holly/Evolution_

_Disclaimer: The following is a fictional story, the characters being property of the WWE. I don't own any rights to any of these characters, and don't intend to make a dime from this story; it is purely for enjoyment only._

**Chapter 3: 'The Highlight Reel'**

As expected, there was a welcoming committee awaiting Molly's arrival at the arena for Monday Night Raw. Nothing out of the ordinary, it was the usual howls of derision and name calling that she was getting well used to. She had resolved to be thick skinned tonight, as there was far more important business to attend to.

She parked up and sauntered through the backstage area with a measure of confidence. Title belt slung over her shoulder, she made her way to the General Manager's office for the second week running. Bischoff must have been expecting her, because he was stood in the corridor to greet her.

"Molly... so good to see you!" he beamed, holding out his palm for a handshake. She looked at his outstretched hand, and accepted his offer with a big smile emanating from her face. Her mood had improved a great deal over the weekend and she felt ready to take on the world.

"Mr. Bischoff, thanks for last week's gesture."

"It's a pleasure, I owed you one." Molly looked puzzled as he confessed this, "I let you down earlier this year, after all you did for me during your last run as champion. I mean, I did nothing to stop that vicious feud with Victoria and all the teasing you have had to put up with." He showed there was a soft centre beneath that cold exterior of his; it must have been well hidden away.

"We make a good team... speaking of teams, where do we go from here?" Molly asked, as this was the one thing that had bugged her since discovering the truth about the turn of events leading to her title win.

"All will be revealed, have no fear. First you get a chance to have your say, Chris Jericho has requested your presence in tonight's Highlight Reel." Molly raised her eyebrows at the prospect of being in the limelight at last.

Molly had cut promos before, but never on the sort of scale as the one she would be involved in on this night. Jericho's Highlight Reel was usually the domain for the top performers on the show, and tonight she got her shot at being included in that company. Casting her mind back to her promos from the past, they all had something in common – she invariably ended up on the wrong end of some abuse; whether verbal or physical. 'Not tonight' she thought.

Chris Jericho occupied the ring, the usual fanfare and extravagance of his Highlight Reel all around him; not to mention the fact he sported his usual outrageous outfit. The audience appeared to be packed with Jericholics, showing their appreciation for the self proclaimed King of the World.

"Welcome to... RAW... IS... JERICHO!!!"

Once the crowd's fervor had died down, Jericho introduced everyone to his guest for the evening.

"Tonight on the Highlight Reel I am being joined by perhaps the most despicable diva in the WWE today." The crowd played to Chris by pulling faces implying that Molly was not easy on the eyes, "Ha, well I guess all you guys know best, but I was referring to her attitude!"

"Anyway... Ladies, gentleman and Jericholics of all ages, the new WWE Women's Champion... Molly Holly!"

Molly's music hit the arena and she stepped out into the arena to a chorus of boos. After weeks of dressing in plain black pants and corsets, she had opted for a new look; dressed in jeans and a casual sweater, her silky brown hair shining radiantly. With her newly acquired belt strapped proudly around her waist, she ran her hands through her locks and thrust her fists into the air in a defiant salute. On her way to the ring, one of the hoards of jeering fans thrust a banner in her face reading 'Evolution's Bitch'; Molly's answer was to grab the sign and tear it up dramatically. "I'm the champ, I'm nobodies bitch!" she yelled.

Jericho applauded Molly as she entered the ring between the bottom and middle ropes, but it wasn't a congratulatory gesture. He was mocking her for her heinous actions of the previous week and the soft way she acquired the title strap.

"Well Molly, I have to say you shocked the world last week. Yeah, you even shocked Y2J. You did it! You actually did it... You won a match!" The crowd roared their approval, whilst Molly shook her head.

"Come on baby, lighten up, you're the champion!" Molly nodded to the audience and stroked her belt to confirm Jericho's statement. "How does it feel to be the new Heavyweight Women's Champion? HEAVYWEIGHT!"

Molly cringed as she couldn't help but be sensitive about her weight. She picked up the microphone sat one of the chairs in the ring and tried to get a word in edge ways.

"Who cares Jericho? The idiots in the crowd don't care! Not that I give a damn about them anyway!" Riling the already tempestuous crowd further.

"I deserve this title whether any of you like it or not, so you had all better get used to it!"

"Whoa, whoa, junior! You deserve it? I beg to differ baby!"

"I erm... well..." she stuttered, "I don't have to justify anything to you! I won the match!" Molly was trying her hardest not to be flustered by the extroverted Jericho, which was easier said than done.

"How's about we roll the tape from last week and judge for ourselves?" Jericho asked the audience, who responded in the affirmative.

_The Titantron showed the climax of Molly's match with Victoria, starting with the Widow's Peak. As Molly crashed down in a heap, the camera turned to the ramp where Triple H was directing Batista towards the ring. Victoria saw the impending arrival of the 'Animal of Evolution' and spun around quickly to make her escape, having no clue what his intentions were._

_She hadn't counted on the ref being situated behind her, Vicky not having time to react. They collided, leaving the ref out of action, whilst she was conscious enough to see Batista marching towards her menacingly. She groaned as he manhandled her off the mat and into position for his finisher, the Batista Bomb. In a flash she was thundered into the canvas, and the last ounce of consciousness flickering away was snuffed out._

_Batista moved the recovering Molly over Victoria and fled from the ring, his job complete. Triple H was dragging another official into the fray, instructing him to count the pin fall. Reluctantly the ref rolled into the ring and thumped the mat three times for the decision and the bell rang to end the controversial contest. Batista and Triple H scampered from the scene, before Molly came round, without revealing the motive for their actions._

_When Molly snapped out of her own trance, she couldn't believe her luck at snaring the title. She was visibly bewildered at the outcome, but eyed up Victoria's prone state gleefully. There was no need for a second invitation as she took the newly acquired belt and destroyed her mercilessly._

"That's a damn screw job Molly!" Molly didn't seem bothered at all, as she enjoyed the footage. A wicked smirk slowly manifested itself on her face.

"And what sort of sick perversion did you get out of beating Victoria to a pulp? She's at home convalescing because you are nothing but a heartless bitch!"

Molly grimaced, "You must have missed WrestleMania Jericho, she shaved my head and made me look a damn freak! I exacted my form of justice... And if you're watching Victoria... This is far from over. I'm gonna make your life a misery!"

"Wow, the fat girl talks a good game!" Jericho grinned at the ammunition Molly had just given him. "By the way, we all see you've got the new look and everything now, but some things stay the same... everyone in the back still thinks you're Baldilocks!"

Molly threw a tantrum at his jibe, throwing her belt to the floor and subconsciously checking her hair was still there; the scars of being bald were hard to cover up. She continued to flap her arms around furiously until she was stopped in her tracks by a welcome intervention. The lights dimmed and shrouded the arena in a wonderful gold glow, the theme of Evolution playing.

Jericho surveyed the scene, "And here come the three bears..." his voice tailing off as he saw Triple H, Batista and Ric Flair make their way towards the ring. Randy Orton was conspicuous by his absence, but the faction didn't look as if they were perturbed; they were in the mood to rumble.

Molly's pendulum of emotions swung once more to satisfaction, as she stood back and watched Jericho flip out. Molly stealthily shuffled behind Jericho as he remonstrated with his advancing enemies.

As Evolution reached the ring apron, Triple H held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. Jericho was apprehensive to trust their devious leader, previous experience told him that much.

He hadn't counted on the scheming ways of Molly though, as he let his guard down for a second and allowed her to exploit it. She delivered a venomous low blow, which knocked the wind out of his sails. He came crashing down to earth in agony, as Molly laughed hysterically at his expense.

"What's the matter Chris? No more below the belt jokes now hey?" She added insult to injury by landing a couple more cheap kicks, before turning him over to HHH and company to finish the job. Ric and Batista dragged him up and restrained him as Molly positioned herself at the side of Hunter for them to taunt him in unison. The Game finished Y2J off with a brutal Pedigree, standing over the fallen superstar and performing his trademark 'I am the man' pose; flexing his immense arms.

Jericho's conquerors celebrated triumphantly, the seeds to an unholy alliance between Molly and Evolution sown. It was the dawn of a new era of potential domination for the super power, sending shockwaves through the locker room. For Molly, it couldn't get much better than this...


	4. ‘Pull yourself together girl’

_Characters: Molly Holly/Evolution_

_Disclaimer: The following is a fictional story, the characters being property of the WWE. I don't own any rights to any of these characters, and don't intend to make a dime from this story; it is purely for enjoyment only._

**Chapter 4: 'Pull yourself together girl'**

For Molly it had been the wildest week of her life; styling and profiling with the entity known as Evolution. Being on the road with those guys was one big party, from riding around in stretch limousines to wining and dining at five star restaurants. It certainly beat rooming with other divas and traveling around the country on a shoestring.

Back at work, she had noticed a marked change in the attitude of certain members of the WWE fraternity, especially those that had been critical of her in the past. As another edition of Raw rolled around, Chris Jericho passed her in a corridor and didn't even mutter a word, preferring to keep his nose clean and head down.

Y2J had persistently made fun of Molly ever since she had converted to her 'Pure and Wholesome' look. 'Finally getting the respect I deserve, jerk' she thought to herself, as she continued on to her new dressing room... The Evolution one.

Their locker room was another step up in class, something she had heard rumours about in the past. Molly was not the gossiping type and had hardly been curious about it, but she found out first hand what the other superstars were jealous about.

There was a charge of nervous energy circulating her body, even more so when she found the room to be empty. Hunter told her to meet him there at a set time; he was nowhere to be seen. 'No cause for panic I guess, he can't have forgotten about me already' she reasoned with herself.

Hunter had welcomed her to the team with open arms and made sure she was comfortable in the set up. The fact he even acknowledged her existence was overawing at first, but as the week had progressed she found herself open up and they had some pretty lengthy conversations.

"_So Molly, can you explain something to me?"_

"_Sure, what is it Hunter?"_

"_The Raw roster has divas like Trish and Stacy Kiebler, so why are all the guys in the locker room obsessed with you?"_

"_Me? Are you sure?"_

"_Yeah, I'm sure. They are obsessed with you and a certain V word."_

_Molly blushed and turned away._

"_It's okay Mol, I'm not digging for dirt, I just noticed this unhealthy obsession they all seem to harbour. I'm pretty sure you know about the birds and the bees." He twiddled a few locks of Molly's hair and smiled to gain her trust._

"_It's true."_

"_Pardon?"_

"_I'm a virgin." She said in a matter of fact tone._

"_Never." He seemed genuinely taken aback by her admission. "You... I mean... Well, I don't know how to put it."_

"_Guys in the past have gotten on great with me, but when it comes to move past first base, I freeze up. Part of me wants things to happen, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I am always thinking the worst, thinking they are taking advantage of me. I often wonder if there is anyone out there for me."_

_Hunter took her hand, and looked straight into her angelic blue eyes. Her innocence shone through as she gazed dreamily back into his._

"_Give it a chance girl. He's out there somewhere."_

'If only' she pondered, happily day dreaming about one of their chats earlier in the week. She was snapped out of her trance by Hunter, who immediately apologized for leaving her alone, "Sorry Mol, had some business to sort with Bischoff... fixing my championship shot for Survivor Series."

"Great, what did he say?"

"I've got my shot, providing I can pulverize that idiot Jericho in a number one contender's match." Hunter's face screwed up, with cruel intentions in mind no doubt.

"Well, give him a couple of stiff shots for me." Molly said venomously.

"Don't worry... I will. Oh, I got some bad news for you though."

'Great' Molly thought to herself, 'a week into my title reign and I'm having to put it on the line already.'

"Who am I defending against?" she said with a deep sigh, assuming she had a match. Hunter shook his head.

"No, no. Don't panic, I made sure you don't have to defend until the pay-per-view. But... you have got to do something tonight." Molly's face literally asked a hundred questions.

"You have to guest commentate on a match tonight. My match." He said with menace, whilst pointing at himself with his thumb. After seeing the light side of Hunter, Molly caught a glimpse of his other side. At the end of the day, wrestling was his life, and the World Heavyweight Championship was what he craved more than anything else. It was an intimidating aspect to his personality, but one she respected a great deal. Something she tried to achieve herself with her own persona.

"No sweat." She tried to assure him, blatantly lying about the situation. She had hated Jerry Lawler for years, stretching back to her infamous feud with Trish Stratus and the subject of her 'ample posterior'. In her opinion, he took it too far with some of his derogatory comments, and his constant obsession of discussing Molly's sex life; or in reality, the lack of.

It didn't wash with HHH; he sensed that she wasn't too pleased about having to perform the commentary role. She was about to put up a fight and insist that all was well, until Hunter surprised her.

He sat next to her on the bench and put his arm round her shoulder. Despite being an innocent exchange, Molly felt a whirlpool of sensations flood her body; ranging from a flicker of excitement to a tinge of fear. She had fleetingly dreamt about such an occurrence in the past, it was something she never believed would ever actually happen. She wanted to enjoy the moment, but the barrier she referred to earlier in the week prevented her.

"You're worried about Lawler right?" it was as if he was reading her mind. Molly looked at him bashfully and agreed. Hunter allowed himself the semblance of a chuckle, an out of character moment. He squeezed her arm and tightened the embrace slightly, causing Molly to feel a tingle shudder through her spine.

"He'll get what's coming to him... Even if I have to see to it personally..."

Molly allowed herself to lean on Hunter's shoulder. She felt infinitely safe with him at her side; he didn't resort to any kind of innuendo to win her round, he did it the old fashioned way with a soft touch and genuine concern for her welfare. Whilst she wasn't 100% certain that Hunter could be trusted, she could sense herself starting to fall for him.

'I really hope he feels the same way about me, as I do about him...'

A part of her prayed that he would take the initiative and kiss her, but that was evidently not on his mind. He broke the clinch and sprung to his feet, showing no signs of emotion. To him it appeared to be nothing more than a friendly cuddle to make her feel better about herself.

It would have worked, if she hadn't felt so warm at his side.

"Right, I have a ton of people to see and stuff to do. I'll see you after the match, don't do anything I wouldn't..." Hunter winked and left the changing room. That induced another spine tingling moment for Molly.

'Aww, come on Molly... Pull yourself together girl... What would he ever see in me?' Molly looked in the mirror and tried to feel good about herself, but despite having the best week of her life, all she could see was the same old Molly Holly reflection.


	5. ‘Don’t put your neck on the line’

_Characters: Molly Holly/Evolution_

_Disclaimer: The following is a fictional story, the characters being property of the WWE. I don't own any rights to any of these characters, and don't intend to make a dime from this story; it is purely for enjoyment only._

**Chapter 5: 'Don't put your neck on the line' **

"Well ladies and gentlemen; we're being joined here by the Women's Champion, Molly Holly." J.R. informed the viewers.

"Shut up!" Molly barked at the pocket of fans surrounding the announcer's position, who were giving her a hard time. It was the last place she wanted to be, especially when she noticed Jerry Lawler leering at her. She frowned as she put her headset on to join in on the commentary.

"To what do we owe this pleasure then Molly?" J.R. inquired. Molly looked at him as if he was stupid.

"Did you not see last week? The women's champ is part of Evolution. And in case you hadn't noticed, Triple H is the main man of Evolution." She shook her head in annoyance. At this point, Jerry Lawler tried to lighten the mood, but only succeeded in irritating her further.

"Let me say, you are looking mighty fine tonight Molly. Your new look is doing wonders for you!" he said with a creepy look on his face.

Molly did indeed look fine, wearing a sky blue silk blouse and a crisp pair of black pants. She now found herself spending a lot longer on her makeup than she used to, something she knew she might regret with the presence of Lawler.

"Excuse me? You can keep your seedy thoughts to yourself, thank you very much!"

"I was only saying."

In the ring, Triple H was putting the hurt on Chris Jericho in their number one contenders match for the World Heavyweight Title. After ducking an attempted clothesline by Y2J, he caught him with a punishing neckbreaker.

"That's it Hunter!" Molly was at least allowing herself to enjoy the beating being dished out to Jericho.

"So Molly, what's the deal with you and Evolution?" J.R. tried to dig for dirt.

"I really don't think that is any of your business J.R." Molly retorted.

"Hell Molly, we're only trying to make conversation. What has happened to you over the past couple of years?" J.R. persisted.

"What are you trying to say?" Molly was disturbed by the question.

"Yes Molly, what happened to the little blonde bombshell that used to be sweeter than sugar!" Lawler said, licking his lips at the thought of how she looked in the past. Molly's initial instinct was to fly off the handle, but she just about managed to contain her anger and ignored his remarks.

"No, I didn't mean that King." J.R. sighed. "What I meant was, why do you harbour all this hatred towards everybody?"

Molly paused before offering an answer. "They all deserve it. They treat me like I am nothing, people should respect me!"

Deep down in her heart of hearts though, she knew that J.R. had a point. The fans used to adore her, she was their darling. There were times she wished she still got reactions like that, but the reality was she achieved nothing during her 'sweet as sugar' days.

"What did I ever win as the nice girl J.R.?"

"You won people's respect lady. Beating people up and talking trash isn't going to impress anybody."

Molly was being distracted from the task in hand, although she allowed herself a second to check out Hunter's progress; Jericho had managed to turn the tables and HHH was beginning to labour.

"J.R. is right Molly, even I thought you took it too far with Victoria a couple of weeks back." Lawler broke character for a second to weigh in with his opinion.

"How many more times!" Molly was sick and tired of being castigated for her actions against Victoria, "She shaved my head at WrestleMania!"

"Of course... Hey that wig of yours looks realistic!" Lawler screeched. 'What wig?' she thought, running her hands through her hair. In a split second she became conscious that it was a joke, causing the fuse inside of Molly to snap. She pouted her lips for a moment, before unleashing a wicked slap.

"Idiot." Molly snapped. She was surprised to see a couple of fans in front of the commentary position applauding her for putting Jerry Lawler in his place. 'Guess I'm not the only one who hates his guts.'

"Don't look at me King, you asked for that." J.R. begrudgingly sided with Molly, at least on this occasion.

She left the announcer's position in order to get down to ringside. The enormity of the situation dawned on her, as she made her way down the ramp way to aid Hunter. Despite being a professional wrestler for several years, she had rarely been in the limelight and was not used to such prominence.

She had wrestled, albeit disastrously, on the biggest stage of them all at WrestleMania XX, but felt much more anxious about being at ringside with Triple H for a match on Raw. The thought of losing her hair on that night was appalling, but as she reached the ring apron and looked up to see Triple H struggling in the Walls of Jericho, she felt positively nauseous.

"Molly... Sledgehammer..." Hunter said, grimacing in pain as Jericho applied more pressure to the submission hold. Molly felt as though time was standing still, as she froze up. She wanted to help, but couldn't transmit anything useful through the mush that represented her chain of thinking in that instant.

There was no use in getting the weapon and breaking the hold; a disqualification was not going to secure the all important title shot at Survivor Series. 'Think Molly... come on, think!' She stood trancelike, as Hunter visibly began to crack.

"Get out of the way!" came a voice from over her shoulder, as she found herself being shoved out of the way.

It was Randy Orton, who proactively jumped onto the ring apron and distracted the referee for long enough for Molly to make a difference. Randy stared furiously in her direction, the ire burning in his eyes. Molly was intimidated into action, scurrying around the ring to retrieve Hunter's object of suffering.

She instinctively knew where to find it, Hunter was nothing if not meticulous; he always had a sledge hammer planted in a certain spot underneath the ring. Before the match, he had told Molly to steer clear of the ring, but in an emergency she was to retrieve the weapon for him.

"_You retrieve it, but don't put your neck on the line. I'll deal with Jericho."_

Hunter's pre-match instructions rang through her head, as she hurriedly collected the hammer. Jericho noticed her scheming intention and frustratingly broke his hold in order to deal with her.

"_I'll deal with Jericho."_

"Sorry Hunter." She mumbled to herself as Jericho expressed his disapproval at her next to the ropes. She primed the weapon out of his line of sight and waited for the chance to land a telling blow.

"Haven't you caused me enough grief?" Jericho moaned.

Molly shrugged and took a step back, assessing the situation. Orton was still arguing with the official who was ordering him to leave, which left her window of opportunity open. She tightened her grip on the sledge hammer and as Jericho averted his gaze from her for a split second, she swung it recklessly into his abdomen.

The blow knocked the stuffing out of Jericho and left him vulnerable to the recuperating Hunter; in the twinkling of an eye his face was driven into the mat with a brutal Pedigree.

"1... 2... 3..."

Molly remembered nothing else, as she felt her lights being turned out...


	6. ‘The flashback and the premonition’

_Characters: Molly Holly/Evolution_

_Disclaimer: The following is a fictional story, the characters being property of the WWE. I don't own any rights to any of these characters, and don't intend to make a dime from this story; it is purely for enjoyment only._

**Chapter 6: 'The flashback and the premonition' **

_Come on, I have to kick out of this... Oh no, I'm trapped... My hair... My precious hair..._

"_No!!!"_

_It was too late, my fate was sealed. Petrification set in, the psycho woman clutching what should rightfully be mine, the Women's Title. Not only did she have that, but she now threatened my pride and joy, my silky locks of dark brown hair. I had to flee her; there was no way I could go through with the petty stipulation._

_She was not going to let me off lightly though, pursuing me up the ramp as I fled in a fit of panic. Please leave me, there is no need to torment me; you have what you desire, 'my' title._

_Why does it not surprise me that she is unrelenting? How ungrateful, after all I had done to help her establish herself. Heck, I trained her; something that had come back to bite me in a big way._

_I cannot give up without a fight; I have to make her pay for her indiscretions._

_I surprise her, take revenge and decide it's her who is going to lose her mane. Why won't this clipper work? Come on!_

"_Argh!!!"_

_Can't see... Get off my hair! Ugh..._

_No... No... NO!!!_

Molly snapped out of her distressing nightmare, flailing her arms wildly. She was lying flat on a bed and felt very groggy.

"Molly?"

She could just about make out somebody's voice, through the wall of pain in her head. Whoever it was, restrained her and attempted to calm her down.

"Whoa babe, take it easy."

The gruff voice hardly soothed her agony, but it doused the flames of her tantrum at the very least. She endeavored to look to see who it was, but could only make out two blurred outlines. The room was bathed in a bright white glow, which strained her eyes.

"Molly, can you hear me?" said another man's voice on the other side of her bed.

"Ugh..." She grumbled indignantly.

"You've taken a bit of a bump, but don't worry we will have you right as rain in no time!" he chirped. Molly sighed to herself, 'I'm not in the mood for this...' She shut her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep again.

_He took my palm in one hand and cupped my chin in the other, his rough hands offering a rugged, yet soothing experience. I dared to chance a stare into his mesmeric gaze; his eyes radiated warmth and goodness. He had captured my heart and I was not complaining._

_There was no need for spoken words to convey our emotions, as our lips connected in a moment brimming with electricity. Sparks flew as his tongue intertwined with mine, a thrilling moment of passion that made me feel good from my head to my toes._

_I groaned, as his hands caressed my tingling flesh, exploring my natural curves. I could not resist a feel of my own, stroking his manly skin and becoming excessively aroused._

_I had waited a long time for perfection like this and I was making the most of it. He was everything I had wished for in a man and more, somebody I could look up to and respect. He was my knight in shining armour and I was his beautiful damsel._

_For the first time in my life, I felt attractive and had the self confidence to believe in myself. He helped me to dispel my trauma, the wickedness that was my past, and took me forward in his arms._

_I melted in those very arms, full of love and happy thoughts. I trusted him with my life and hoped to spend the rest of that with him. The thought of him not being at my side was something I didn't wish to contemplate._

_For the moment, it was nothing but an after thought, as his hand traveled sensually across my soft tummy towards my lower extremities. This was unchartered water and I felt feelings I was completely unfamiliar with. In the past I would have put up 'my' barrier, but with him I felt nothing but exhilaration..._

"I love you." Molly purred subconsciously, not realizing she was talking in her sleep.

Stirring, she opened her eyes gingerly, once more blinded by the light in the room she was in. There was somebody stood over her, but she couldn't quite make out who it was.

"Who's there?" she attempted to find out.

"It's Dave." Her eyes started to become more accustomed to the light and she began to recognize the behemoth that was Batista. Instead of feeling intimidated, she actually felt at ease; dressed casually, she could see a genuine look of concern on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked caringly.

Molly rubbed her head and just about managed to raise an eyebrow. "I've felt better."

A couple of anxious seconds passed, as neither could think of the right thing to say. Dave decided to change the subject.

"You were talking in your sleep."

"Was I? What did I say?"

"I love you." he grinned.

"Oh, did I? Sorry..." her cheeks beamed a bright red glow, signaling her embarrassment. Dave grinned and held a hand up to let her know he wasn't bothered by it.

Retracing her steps, she tried to picture who she had been dreaming about and effectively lusting for, but it was a fruitless exercise. She turned her attention to her surroundings, slowly realizing she was in a hospital.

"What happened?" she inquired, trying to ascertain why she was laid out, flat on her back on a sick bed.

"You were blindsided by that psycho woman. She hit you round the back of the head with a steel chair, a revenge attack by the looks of it."

'Victoria. I should have known.' she deliberated. Molly knew that Victoria would seek some sort of retribution, but had not expected it so soon.

She could hazily recall the turn of events leading up to it, but nothing was clear in her minds eye. She had a hard time remembering what occurred after she'd left the commentary position.

A sickly feeling rumbled through her stomach, as she saw that Dave was the only person in the room with her. The other three members of Evolution were conspicuous by their absence, most notably Hunter.

"Where's Hunter?" she asked, hoping in her heart that he'd gone to get a coffee or something.

"He's gone out on the town with Ric. He told me that he might be able to make it later tomorrow."

Molly felt deflated upon learning that Hunter hadn't bothered to check in on her himself. In her mind she was convinced that she must have dropped the ball earlier in the evening and done something to cost Hunter his match.

"He's upset with me right?" She muttered dejectedly.

"You are kidding me right? Why do you think he's out on the town?" Dave reacted in a manner which didn't really assist Molly; his face didn't paint a lucid impression, nor did his voice give her anything to make her mind up for her.

"Because I let him down out there tonight, he must be furious..." she broke off for a second, as yet more pain bounced around the walls of her head. It gave Dave the opportunity to jump in and allay her fears.

"Mol, listen to me darling." he said, placing his fingers on her troubled forehead and gently massaging her soft skin, "You were great out there tonight. Without your help, he may well have lost his match and then there would have been hell to pay."

"He won?" Molly sounded surprised.

"Yes, he did. He's out on the town with Ric... to celebrate!" Dave chuckled, and pinched Molly's cheeks in a playful manner. "There's nothing for you to worry about."

With the weight lifted off of her shoulders, she puffed out her chest and let all the stress out.

"Listen, I am going to pop out and try and contact the guys, let them know you have come round. Sit tight, I won't be long." Dave said in a reassuring, yet assertive way. He smiled and turned to exit the room.

"Dave... Thanks." She stopped him in his tracks, throwing him off slightly.

He paused for a moment, "What for?"

"For being a great guy. I really appreciate you being here for me." Molly managed a brittle smile, ignoring her pain for a moment.

"Any time Mol... Any time." He said, before leaving Molly alone in the room.

She gingerly turned across onto her right side, letting her head rest on the pillow. She couldn't help but feel let down by Hunter not being there at her side. She was genuinely thankful that Dave had been a gentleman and sat with her, but the harsh reality was that she would much rather have seen Hunter than him.

That prompted her to believe that it had been Hunter she had dreamt about, she could feel her heart yearning for him. She retraced her steps one more time to try and get an image of the man she'd fantasized about, but to no avail. Despondently, she sighed and reluctantly let all her thoughts of affection drain away.

She lay quiescent for a few minutes, until a random thought popped into her head. 'If Hunter and Ric are out on the town, and Dave is here at the hospital with me... Where is Randy?'


	7. ‘Revelations’

**Chapter 7: 'Revelations' **

Molly marched into the arena on the night of Survivor Series like a woman scorned; The fact that nobody aside from Dave had bothered to check up on her during her stay in hospital, meant it was safe to say she her mood was as cold as the weather outside. She had repaid the compliment by avoiding them, but that had made little difference really. They didn't seem to care one jot.

With the title belt draped over her shoulder, and dragging a bag behind her, she found the nearest member of staff to vent her fury upon.

"Hey, you!" she barked, finding a suitable candidate, "Where's the Evolution dressing room tonight?"

The young guy she confronted gave her a blank look and shrugged his shoulders, he didn't appear to care. His attitude infuriated the already volatile Molly; she could feel her blood boiling. She made it perfectly clear that she needed a definitive answer.

"Now, let's get one thing straight." She said in a calm voice, hiding the fact she was irate, "Either you tell me where Evolution are, or I will not hesitate to put this fist into your face. Understand?"

Dropping her belongings, she held up her right fist and slowly clenched it into a tight ball. The lad sprung to attention when he noticed Molly's lips form a vicious pout and her eyes cast a stinging gaze. He held his hands up, and pleaded with her.

"L-listen M-miss... I d-don't k-know." He faltered, fear gripping his body. He backed up as Molly inched towards him menacingly, until he could retreat no further. The man cringed as Molly motioned to throw a punch, only to be stopped in her tracks at the last second.

"Molly! Stop right now!"

She paused, and gritted her teeth in annoyance at the distraction. She scowled at the man who was still cowering in fear against the wall, but eventually took pity on him.

"Get out of here!" she yelled at him. He chanced a look, and scurried away like a shot once he saw she had dropped her fist.

Molly turned her attention to the person who had stopped her laying somebody out. She wasn't too thrilled to see that it was Eric Bischoff.

If Evolution were listed at number one in her bad books, then Eric Bischoff was not far behind at number two. He hadn't visited her or contacted her either, which bugged her. As 'his' Women's Champion, she figured her boss should have respected her a little more and shown a little more interest.

"What's gotten into you Molly?" He questioned her, "What's the problem?"

Molly was astounded that he even needed to ask what her problem was. She thought about an explanation, but felt he wasn't worthy of one. Adopting that mind-set, she recovered her items on the ground and walked straight past him.

"Hey, wait a minute young lady! Don't ignore me!"

"How ironic." She sneered under her breath and continued to pace away from him.

"We haven't even discussed your match tonight!"

Molly stopped dead in her tracks, rocked by the revelation that she was to have a match on the card for that night. The doctors had told her she was not to wrestle for a couple of weeks, in order to fully recover from the effects of the blow to her head.

With a puckered brow, she faced Bischoff in order to protest.

"A match? You are kidding me?"

Bischoff traded a scornful look of his own and shook his head slowly from side to side.

"I cannot compete! Don't you know where I've been the last week or so?" Molly bleated.

Bischoff tapped his chin for a second, suggesting he didn't know where she had been. He was playing dumb however and responded with a scathing attack.

"Yes I do know where you've been Molly... And I have to say I am very disappointed! I bent over backwards to help you get that title and to have the opportunity to work with Evolution... and how do you repay me? You sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you don't even bother to let me know you weren't going to be at Raw, and you swan in here on one of the biggest nights on our calendar like you're the one who has been harshly treated!"

Molly was shocked into silence for a moment, being taken aback by his barrage of words.

"I had a concussion!"

"A concussion?"

"Yes."

"So poor little Molly had a bump on her head and has sat around waiting for it to get better... Give me a break!" Bischoff ridiculed her.

Not surprisingly, Molly was disgusted by the contempt Bischoff was showing towards her injury, but knew she would be wasting her breath protesting any more. She hated backing down to anyone, but realized that there wasn't going to be any sort of a sympathy vote from him. With that in mind she decided to cut to the chase.

"Okay, I get the message Eric... You better tell me about this match."

Bischoff was about to continue his tirade, until he noted that Molly had abruptly lost interest in arguing the toss. He dusted himself down and walked over to stand alongside Molly, who despite standing with her hands on her hips, seemed to have quelled the aggression inside of her.

"Ah yes, the match," he began, catching his breath, "This feud between you and Victoria needs to stop... right here, right now. I can't have my talent jeopardized from week to week because of a petty grudge."

Molly bit her lip, trying not to react to his suggestion that the animosity between herself and Victoria was insignificant. Flicking some loose strands of hair out the way, she issued a command with her eyes for him to continue.

"So it's going to be Molly Holly... versus Victoria... for the Women's title..."

"Fair enough." She said resentfully, "If that's all, I'll be on my way..."

"Wait a minute, I assume you know that this isn't going to be any old match?" Bischoff halted Molly before she could dash off. Molly had no idea what he was talking about.

"It is going to Molly versus Victoria... Women's title... Hell in a Cell..."

Molly's complexion turned pale at the thought of such a brutal match.

"What! I can't wrestle in a match like that!" she remonstrated, throwing a fit of panic.

"You can... and you will." Bischoff pointed out in the bluntest possible manner. He was enjoying every second of Molly's torment, as she looked positively nauseous about the pending bout.

"Good luck Molly." He scoffed and left her to stand and ponder her fate. She had limited experience of no holds barred wrestling, but had never competed in anything that resembled the demonic structure of Hell in a Cell. Add in the fact that she was coming back from a head injury and the recipe was there for disaster.

Molly couldn't understand why Bischoff had turned on her all of a sudden, they had always shared a good working relationship. She knew there was something going on, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She wandered around the backstage area for several minutes in an attempt to locate the Evolution dressing room. On finding it, she hesitated at the door for a moment. Instead of bursting in, she decided to cup her ear to the door, and take in the discussion going on behind it.

"Hey guys, Bischoff has told her."

"How did she take it?"

"What do you think Ric? She is shitting herself about it!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea Hunter?"

"Are you going soft or something Dave?"

"No... But she doesn't really deserve this does she?"

"Ha ha ha. It's time for her to prove her worth to us."

"Trips is right Dave. She hasn't proven herself yet."

"I guess."

"If she wins, Evolution will come out of it smelling of roses..."

"And if she loses?"

"We don't accommodate losers..."

Whilst it was nigh on impossible for her night to get any worse, the startling revelations she had just heard took the biscuit. Her supposed allies had plotted the match, with no regard for her; it was a stunt simply designed to get them over.

She couldn't believe how foolish she had been, not only to trust Evolution in the first place, but to ever think that Hunter could be a gentleman. She had spent many hours over the past week or two thinking of him and dreaming of being by his side. That image had been shattered with the revelations she'd overheard.

In a strange way it helped her however; it only served to make her more determined, it helped her stifle her fear of the match she was destined to compete in. On its own, the mere fact that her arch rival and nemesis Victoria was there for the taking, should have been motivation enough. The backstabbing only served to focus that motivation.

"You want to be careful, eavesdropping on the Evolution dressing room." A voice came from over her shoulder, giving her a fright. For the first time since joining Evolution, Randy Orton spoke to her.

Wearing only the shorts and boots that comprised his ring attire, he was sweating profusely and panting for breath. It was obvious that he had just completed a match, but Molly showed neither any interest, nor any sort of empathy.

"You want to watch you don't get a kick in the nuts." Molly snarled, not caring to speak to him at that point in time, or at all for that matter.

"Temper, temper." Randy taunted. He shook his finger, beaming his customary smug grin.

"Whatever. I should have known better than to trust you losers..." Molly frowned, locking her angry gaze onto Randy's.

Randy exchanged a quizzical look, trying to ascertain what she was referring to. He was convinced she was happy to be in Evolution, so her reaction was a bolt out of the blue as far as he was concerned.

"Don't worry; your little plan to have me humiliated in front of millions of people isn't going to work. Victoria is going to be sorry she ever crossed me!" she cried defiantly.

"What?"

"The Hell in a Cell match, I know all about you morons setting it up. Nice try."

"Wait a minute..."

"Save your breath Randy, I'm not interested." Molly barbed, walking away from the puzzled young man. He scratched his head, having not been privy to the plans she spoke of.

"Molly..." He called out after her. She stopped and turned her head slightly, awaiting his words.

"Good luck."


	8. ‘Survival’

**Chapter 8: 'Survival' **

"The World Heavyweight Championship is going to be on the line later tonight everyone, with 'The Game' Triple H squaring off against the man who beat him for the title back at WrestleMania Twenty, 'The Rabid Wolverine' Chris Benoit." J.R. informed the televised audience from the commentary position.

"I can't wait J.R!" Jerry Lawler enthused.

"But before that, Survivor Series continues with a match for the Women's Title... I have a real bad feeling about this one King." J.R continued, sounding awfully morose.

"Yes... You know as well as anyone how much I love seeing the divas J.R... but this is not going to be pretty." Lawler replied in an unusually serious manner, by his standards.

The two broadcasters looked at one another and shook their heads at the prospect of the match to come. J.R. turned to face the camera once more and left the viewing public in no doubt about what they were about to see.

"This is not going to be for the faint of heart everybody, the tempestuous rivalry between Molly and Victoria is going to be settled once and for all. Ever since Molly had her head shaved at the hands of Victoria back in March, she has yearned for the opportunity for revenge."

"She regained the title a few weeks back, but this feud is not about championships any more... These two are intent on finishing each other, period. General Manager Eric Bischoff has deemed that there can be no more sneak attacks... no more outside assistance... this war has to end one way or another and it has to end right now."

"So, for the first time in WWE history ladies and gentlemen, two women will face each other, one on one, surrounded by two tonnes of unforgiving steel... It's the demonic structure known as Hell in a Cell, and in keeping with the true spirit of tonight's event, there can only be one survivor..."

The arena descended into near darkness, only illuminated by a sequence of flashing red and yellow light projections from the ceiling. The crowd hushed, as the metal monstrosity situated high above the ground began to lower, slowly inching its way down. It stopped about 10 feet from the ground, hovering with intent. Howard Finkel stood in the ring, in order to announce the match.

"The following contest is the Hell in a Cell match, scheduled for one fall... for the Women's Championship!"

Several seconds of an almost deathly silence passed, before Victoria's music hit the P.A. and signaled her arrival. Receiving a decent pop from sections of the crowd, she strode out onto the stage with no sign of the usual flamboyance and razzmatazz she normally indulged in. In a throwback to her darker past, she was dressed all in black and the colour of her clothing seemed to reflect her mood; there was no smile or happy emotions, as she was fixated on dishing out some pain.

"Introducing the challenger... From Los Angeles, California... Victoria!"

The vixen strode to the ring with her own plans of revenge. She was convinced that she should still have had the title; she had never actually been cleanly defeated by Molly in her career. Whilst she had enjoyed every second of humiliating Molly over the past months, everything had become deeper than a bit of fun. In her mind the time had come to finish her off and regain what she regarded as rightfully hers.

In the meantime, Molly paced back and forth behind the curtain. She could feel adrenaline pumping through her veins, but also a twinge of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She looked down, placing a hand on the gold strap around her waist; the Women's Title meant a lot to her, but for one night it mattered for very little. The be all and end all was to exorcise the ghosts that had littered the previous few months of her life.

She managed to cast aside any concerns that her recent head injury might become a factor in the match, as she maintained focus on her bitter enemy. Given her cue to enter the arena, she reminded herself that she had one last duty to carry out before the match. She pressed her palms together, and said a little prayer to the heavens.

"Lord, have mercy on my soul... for the time has come to administer hateful vengeance."

Molly burst through the curtains, to Evolution's theme for the first time. She stopped to take in the view of the arena from the top of the ramp; it was shrouded in a warm golden glow. Dressed in black leather pants and a blood red top, she placed both of her hands on the gleaming belt strapped around her waist and cast a wicked glare out to the fans on each side of the arena. They were as boisterous in their abhorrence of Molly as ever.

A shower of golden sparks rained down behind her, as she continued to survey the scene. Getting her head back into the task at hand, she took her first look at the cell hanging above the ring. She allowed herself a wry smile, as she contemplated finally exacting the revenge she had sought for months. She made her way to the ring with a swagger in her step.

"And from Forest Lake, Minnesota... representing Evolution... she is the WWE Women's Champion... Molly Holly!"

Making her way up the ring steps and between the ropes, she immediately got in Victoria's face and a mean stare off ensued. Molly tried to intimidate the taller Victoria, but she wasn't giving an inch. Not a word was spoken as the two women refused to untangle their eyes, senior referee Earl Hebner had to tentatively step between them to ensure nothing went off before the cell descended fully. It began to lower again, to imprison the two contenders.

"Molly... Vicky... There isn't much I can say really... Good luck." Earl said hesitantly, he felt as uneasy as all and sundry in the arena. Perhaps the only two people out there who didn't feel anxious, were the two exchanging scowls in the centre of the ring. Vicky bent over slightly in order to get to eye-level with Molly; their noses inevitably pressed together as neither refused to give an inch.

"I've had fun with you baldy, tonight is going to be no different." Victoria broke the silence, smirking at the screwed up expression on Molly's face upon hearing the reference to hairlessness.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's grown back." Molly snapped back.

"Has it? Still looks kind of... Well, kind of stupid. But I guess that's nothing new..."

"Mock me all you like psycho, after tonight you're going to wish you never met me..."

"I do already." Victoria said, coughing in an attempt to disguise it.

"That's it, get your laughs now... They will be on the other side of your face once I'm finished with you!"

They began to jostle as the steel entity hit the ground. Earl called for the bell and the bloody battle commenced. Managing to prize away from each other, they circled the ring looking for an early advantage. Molly tempted Victoria to come toward her and lock up, only to set the tone for the match; she swung her boot into Victoria's lower extremities, causing the raven haired lady to drop to her knees.

"Hey come on Molly, try and keep it above the belt!" Hebner stressed, despite the match being no-holds barred.

"What?" Molly protested, unsure as to why she would be pulled up for something that was legal in the match. It provided enough of a distraction for Victoria to regain her composure and retaliate with a similar blow of her own, causing Molly to fall to the mat.

"How do you like that Molly?" Victoria derided her writhing opponent. Lifting Molly to her feet, she whipped her into the ropes and back body dropped her on the rebound. Molly held the small of her back, but had no time for respite as Victoria lifted her once more and whipped her against the ropes again.

Molly ducked under a leap frogging Victoria, leapt over her on the way back, before being taken down with a stiff clothesline on the third recoil. Sensing a quick kill, Victoria played to the crowd in preparation for her version of a standing moonsault. Molly knew what was coming and rolled out of the way, right to the outside in order to catch her breath.

Clambering to her feet, she found herself a little disorientated; she backed straight into the steel mesh behind her. Letting out a gasp, she was reminded of the confined environment they were in.

"You can't run away Molly!" Victoria cackled. She sportingly stood away from the ropes to allow Molly to climb back into the ring, but immediately reasserted the upper hand by arm dragging her to the mat. She held on to the arm and tried to wrench it out of its socket, but inadvertently played into Molly's hands. As the better mat technician, she quickly reversed the arm lock into an arm bar of her own.

Molly used the hold as a chance to pull herself together after a rocky start. Victoria was renowned for being slow out of the blocks, but she appeared to be on her game at the start of this match. Victoria slowly inched her way out of Molly's grasp, getting to her knees. A couple of elbows to her stomach loosened the grip enough for Victoria to break away, only for Molly to grab her by the hair and yank her to the ground.

"Hey, no hair pulling Molly!" Hebner once again admonished Molly, without real justification under the rules. Molly thought about remonstrating, but didn't want to make the same mistake twice. She straddled Victoria on the canvas and set about smashing her head into it. She ripped several hairs out of her scalp, such was the force of her onslaught.

As Hebner stepped in to intervene, Molly lost her cool with him.

"Fuck me Earl! It's a Hell in a Cell match, get off my case prick!" She screamed, leaping to her feet and confronting the official. Victoria looked on, surprised by Molly's outburst; despite being a fiery character in the ring, she could never recall her using such expletives. Earl retreated to the corner, as Molly advanced on him waving her arms around furiously.

"Old age getting to you or something? Get a grip for heaven's sake!" Molly vented further. Hebner held his hands up, left speechless by the verbal onslaught; she did have a point of sorts, he was enforcing rules that weren't to be enforced in this particular type of match up.

Molly went to turn her attention back to Victoria, but was met with a crashing blow to the skull. The blow had been a glancing one, but was still of sufficient force to send her tumbling to the ground, her mind a hazy mist. Having only just recovered from a concussion, the blow could have flared it up again; but amazingly she remained conscious, barely.

"You never learn do you?" the fuzzy sound of Victoria's voice ringing in her ears. She managed to drag her head off the canvas to see her stood with a steel chair in her hands. She then noticed a red stain on the mat, akin to the colour of her attire. Reaching up to the area of her forehead that the chair had connected with, she discovered the source of the leak.

She felt sickened by the sight of her own blood on her fingers, but didn't have much time to worry about it as Victoria slapped the chair across her back. Molly could feel the fight being driven out of her, pain searing through her bones.

"Come on Molly! Get up!" Victoria shouted, nonchalantly kicking her. She proceeded to roll Molly out of the ring with her feet, throwing the steel chair to the ground. She wanted to introduce Molly to a friend of hers; the unforgiving metal fence surrounding them.

Molly fell to the outside and valiantly tried to crawl away from the merciless Victoria in pursuit. She didn't get far before her foot was grabbed and she felt herself being flipped over. She groggily held her hands up, begging for mercy, but to no avail. Victoria picked her up by the scruff of her neck and threw Molly against the steel mesh, further lacerating her head wound.

The audience gasped as Victoria repeated the act, and then again. She relented after causing a fourth collision, heaving Molly back into the ring in a battered heap. Her brain began to work overtime, as she sought to go for the jugular. She rummaged beneath the ring, finding a broom and a trash can. She rolled the broom into the ring and tossed the trash can over the ropes, before returning to find more tools of torture.

Molly felt as though she was fighting two people; not only was she up against Victoria, she was struggling with herself. Digging deep, she reminded herself of the words she'd eavesdropped earlier...

"_We don't accommodate losers... We don't accommodate losers... We don't accommodate losers..."_

The words repeated in her head, again and again like a scratched record. It had the effect of restoring a semblance of fighting spirit inside her; she desperately wanted to fight back. Rolling over, she caught a glimpse of the broom Victoria had put in the ring, and reached out to take it into her hands. Summoning all the strength she could, she dragged herself to a kneeling position and saw Victoria's head pop up into view next to the ring apron. She wasted no time in swinging the handle into the side of Victoria's head, temporarily rendering her helpless on the outside.

Out of puff, Molly fell backwards and lay facing the roof of the cell. She saw Earl stood over her, but couldn't hear a word he was saying and the audience was also inaudible. Her scrambled thoughts didn't enable her to comprehend too much, but she was sure of one thing; She wasn't about to give up in a hurry.


	9. ‘Proving a point’

_Disclaimer: The following chapter contains some graphic violence, so please bear that in mind if you don't like reading about that sort of thing._

**Chapter 9: 'Proving a point'**

Molly stumbled, trying to drag her weary frame off the canvas. The match had barely begun, yet she felt like she had run a marathon. She shook her head to try and get her concentration together; in doing so more spots of blood from her head wound spattered onto the mat.

Victoria slid back into the ring and charged wildly towards Molly. Seeing her in the nick of time, Molly took her down with a tired looking drop toe hold, which only just got the job done. Victoria found herself throttled by her fall on the middle rope, clutching her throat and wheezing painfully. Molly staggered across to where Victoria lay prone and attempted to choke her further.

"You think... You think you can make me bleed... And I will lie down?" she snapped.

Molly held the blatant choke for around ten seconds, until she backed off and took a short breather. The two girls had sprung out of the blocks a little too fast and needed to pace themselves in order to last the distance.

Victoria gradually made it back to a vertical platform, turning straight into the waiting Molly's grasp. Molly grabbed her arm and whipped her into the nearest turnbuckle; Victoria's back thudding into the not so forgiving pads covering the buckles.

Molly normally favoured a hand spring elbow in this situation, but wisely evaluated that such a move was not a great idea after a chair shot to the head... As a substitute, she couldn't help but notice the trash can on the ground beside her.

She considered various ways of utilizing the domestic object in such a way to cause maximum damage. Simply slugging Victoria over the head with it could have been sufficient, but Molly had a more sinister plan in mind. She retreated to the opposite turnbuckle and set the metal menace up, sliding it snugly between the ropes.

Victoria pulled herself out of the corner and set about thwarting Molly's scheme. Before she could react, Victoria stealthily crept up behind her and caught her unawares with a cheeky schoolboy attempt. Molly frantically struggled to escape the pin fall, succeeding after a two count. Incensed by being caught off guard, she seized Victoria and took her down with a short arm clothesline.

Molly retained her grip on Victoria's left arm, in order to pull her up again. She left her slightly hunched over in order to land a kick in her stomach, which gave her the window of opportunity she was looking for. She grabbed a handful of Victoria's hair in one hand and clutched the waist line of her pants in the other.

Molly sent Victoria hurtling head first into the obstruction, her skull making a sickening thud against the offending article. The impact split her head open and evened the score on that front. Whilst Molly had never particularly enjoyed gratuitous violence in her life, she didn't object to seeing her arch enemy bleed. Victoria lay motionless in the corner, but Molly had no intention of going for a cover; she felt hate driving her to inflict more punishment on her bitter rival.

She decided to repay the compliment from earlier in the match, by driving Victoria into the perimeter fence. Sliding outside, she hauled Victoria's prone body to the edge of the apron and lifted her onto her shoulders. Molly's knees shuddered under the strain of the weight, as she proceeded to toss Victoria into the steel with all of her might.

The next phase of Molly's game plan involved something she was very familiar with from past skirmishes; wood. She had been driven through tables herself many times in the past and knew first hand how devastating the consequences were.

She found what she was looking for beneath the apron, and set about sliding it into the ring. Before setting it up, she made sure that Victoria remained out of commission with a couple of cheap kicks.

"Time to go... Go for a ride Vicky..." Molly uttered in her direction. Back in the ring, she fumbled around trying to get the table set up, her frustration growing with every second that elapsed. Eventually she managed to straighten the legs out, and tip the table up so it stood on those legs.

Molly positioned it in close proximity with the nearest turnbuckle, enough space in her mind to execute a top rope superplex. She returned to the outside to retrieve the wounded Victoria, slamming her face into the steel steps for good measure, before shifting her back into the ring.

Once there, she had to draw deep into her physical reserves to lift Victoria up, in order to seat her in a precarious position on top of the buckle. As she scaled the ropes herself to deliver the devastating slam, she was bemused as to why she felt no fear; such a fall was as potentially dangerous to her as it was to her opponent. 'Maybe it's because I have a point to prove...' she surmised.

Molly soon realized that budging Victoria on the top rope was not going to be an easy task. The fact that Victoria was practically out cold meant that she had to do all the work. She grunted, trying to lift Victoria up to a standing position, but she wouldn't budge. After another failed attempt, she lost her cool and made room to slap Victoria across the face.

The blow seemed to stir Victoria, as she woozily began to inadvertently assist Molly achieve her objective. The two women slowly mounted the top rope and wobbled dangerously as Molly set up for the move. Molly wrapped her arms around Victoria's waist, trying to retain her balance.

As she put the final pieces of the jigsaw together in her mind, disaster reared its ugly head. One of Victoria's feet slipped and caused her to lurch forward. Molly was powerless to stop the momentum and braced herself for a bumpy ride, clinging on to Victoria for dear life. She shut her eyes and prayed for the best.

The arena collectively watched on open-mouthed as they corkscrewed through the air and crashed through the table. Wood splintered everywhere as the table was split in two. Molly ended up landing directly on top of Victoria, who took the full brunt of the plummet. Molly's entire mass had crushed her chest and put paid to her challenge. Molly didn't escape unscathed, but was nowhere near as winded as Victoria; she was able to control her senses enough to open her eyes and look for the referee.

Hebner stood frozen in the centre of the ring, not knowing whether to count a pin fall or to abandon the contest and seek medical attention. The scene was one of devastation, with both competitors battered, bruised and bloodied. In his mind calling the match off seemed like a sensible option, but predictably his opinion was not in favour with the champion staring angrily in his direction.

Molly's rage simmered as she sensed his reluctance to count her accidental cover. She was damned if fate was going to shine on her, only for somebody else to rain on her parade.

"What are you waiting for? Count..." she demanded, "I said count damn it!"

Hebner unenthusiastically went along with her demands, dropping to his knees to bring his hand down three times. As his hand slapped the mat for the third time, howls of derision rang around the arena, only punctuated by the ring of the bell to signify the decision in Molly's favour. Molly could not have cared less what anybody else thought of the result, she was elated to have finally gotten one over on Victoria. She didn't allow herself any time to celebrate the outcome, as she sought to fully avenge the nightmare of the previous months.

"Time to make you suffer Victoria." She sneered, the bitterness really showing in her voice. Molly wanted her to endure the same anguish she had gone through earlier that year, and had something in mind to achieve just that.

Molly crawled up and jadedly dragged Victoria away from the wreckage of the shattered table. Hebner sensed trouble brewing and tried to intervene, only for Molly to hit him in the face with a potent backhand. The strike knocked him out and sent him sprawling to the ground.

Molly turned Victoria over onto her front and sought to soften up her intended target. Grabbing Victoria's right leg, she hooked it into a stepover, before falling onto her back to cinch the painful crossface element of the STF hold in.

Victoria yelped, as she was awoken from her slumber by the agony inflicted in having her weakened leg contorted out of position. Molly had scouted her well, knowing that the brace fixed on it was a sign of how vulnerable that area was. She imposed as much impairment as she could, as Victoria vainly tapped the mat in submission.

"Nobody can help you Vicky, you're all mine..."

Molly broke the hold off and slithered out of the ring to look for something to finish the job. It was turning out to be her lucky night, as she immediately recovered the exact object she yearned for; a sledgehammer.

She pulled the weapon out from underneath the apron and held it aloft, showing the fans a deranged side to her personality that had never surfaced before. She had inflicted pain on opponents in the past, but had never intentionally set out to maim them... Until now.

Victoria was helpless to prevent her merciless advancement, as Molly returned to the ring with evil intentions in mind. Molly turned her over in order to play with her head and let her know exactly what was in store for her. Tears streamed down Victoria's blood stained cheeks as Molly raised the sledgehammer above her head. She could only cringe and turn away as the first blow rained down on her right knee.

Her screams echoed around the auditorium, as her brace was shattered and fell away from her leg. Molly landed a second vile shot, creating the sick sound of bones cracking. That was music to her ears and enough to finally satisfy her urges. She let the sledgehammer slip out of her hands and stood back to 'admire' her work. Victoria wailed, distressed at the disfigurement of her leg.

As officials and medics frantically broke the seal to the cell and attended to the crocked Victoria, Molly slipped away from the scene with hardly a care in the world. The blood she had shed and her aching limbs did not matter, retaining the title was barely a concern.

It was Hunter's words that she focused on, as she cut her way through the sea of anger from spectators on either side of the ramp...

"_It's time for her to prove her worth to us."_

She was convinced she had done just that.


	10. ‘Don't cross the boss’

**Chapter 10: 'Don't cross the boss' **

After surviving the war with Victoria, Molly felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. As she made her way through the backstage area to the trainer's room, blood continued to trickle from the gash on her head.

Her journey was not a quiet one; she had the misfortune of bumping into a previous arch-rival of hers, Trish Stratus. Trish was the last person she wanted to see at that point in time. The blonde vixen positioned herself in the path of Molly, preventing her from passing.

"Woah, you two don't like each other much do you?" she quipped, a comment dripping with sarcasm. Molly ignored her wisecrack and tried to walk straight past. Trish shuffled to the side to block her path once more.

"Aww, come on Molly! After all, it could be worse... Then again, maybe not!" she said with a huge grin on her face. Molly had always been an easy target for her over the years; it had been a while since they had 'interacted' with each other. She missed it.

"Listen Trish, I know you have trouble with simple logic, but I have just had a brutal match and really need to see the trainer. Now if you'll excuse me, I better be getting along." Molly replied, in as nice a manner as her frame of mind would allow. She'd done enough fighting for one night and didn't fancy an impromptu brawl in the corridor. She dodged to the side and tried to get past, only for Trish to block her path once again.

"Ah, let me see. Yes you are right, you have had a brutal match! You know something, most people pay thousands of dollars for plastic surgery, looks like Victoria helped you out for free!"

"Did you want something, or are you going to continue to waste my time?"

The two ladies squared up and eyeballed each other. Neither had any real intention of starting anything physical, but Trish did have a question for Molly.

"Okay, I guess I do have something to say. I seen what you did to Victoria, and even though I hate her just as much as you do, was there really any need to resort to such callous behaviour?" she asked.

"Excuse me? Since when did I have to justify my actions to you, or anyone else for that matter?" Molly replied.

"You might want to explain yourself to me..." a male voice boomed from over Molly's shoulder, sending a chill down her spine. Trish sensed trouble brewing and excused herself hurriedly, leaving Molly alone with the man.

"I think we need to have a chat young lady." He told her in no uncertain terms. Molly cowered as he ushered her into an adjoining locker room in the corridor.

"Um, I really need to see a doctor..." she tried to inform him, but he held up his hand and pointed towards a seat in the room. He handed her a towel from one of the lockers to stem the flow of blood, then instructed her to sit down.

"Now Molly, I must say I was impressed with the match-up between you and Victoria just now. We all were." He said in a softer, more sincere tone, leading her into a false sense of security, "But... What the hell were you thinking at the end?!"

Molly shied away, hoping that the ground would open up and swallow her.

"Don't ignore me damn it! What the hell were you playing at there?!" The man raged, thrusting his face within a couple of inches of Molly's. There was no escaping that intimidation.

"I... I don't know." The panic stricken diva responded.

"You don't know? You mean you accidentally hit Victoria with a sledgehammer?" he mocked her.

"Well... I um..."

"Spit it out for god's sake woman!"

His nasty tone snapped her out of the fear induced trance and gave her no choice but to attempt to vindicate herself. Deep down she believed she had justification for her actions and had to stick by that. She took a deep breath and composed herself in preparation to respond.

"Mr. McMahon... I know I crossed the line tonight... I know people will say I shouldn't have done what I did... But it happened and I would do it again if necessary." Molly, pressing the towel against her head wound, chanced a look up at the boss of the company stood directly in front of her; he seemed perplexed by her explanation.

"It happened? I can't have my workers going around trying to kill each other! You're going to have to help me out here, this isn't making any sense what so ever."

"You saw what happened at WrestleMania?"

"Of course... You had your head shaved. If I recall correctly you agreed to that stipulation and had no problem about it at the time. Right?"

"I didn't think I was going to lose. I never expected Victoria to catch me off guard like she did." She explained, "When I came to in that barber's chair, and saw my own locks of hair falling onto my lap... The smug look on Victoria's face... The crowd all laughing at my expense... I had nightmares about that for weeks after the event Mr. McMahon. It was the worst night of my life."

Vince noticed tears beginning to form in Molly's eyes, and found a shred of compassion towards her from deep in his heart. Whilst he was furious at the way she had taken the law into her own hands, he tried to see things from her perspective.

"I can see how that might have been harrowing, but it still doesn't give a good reason for your irrational behaviour after the match tonight, does it?"

Molly fought the urge to cry, as she elaborated on the pain and torment she endured in the aftermath of having her head shaved.

"She rubbed my face in it sir, every show she would mock me in the locker room, the canteen, traveling to events... She made my life a complete misery, I had no friends and nobody to talk to on the road. It was a lonely time... Some nights I prayed that I wouldn't wake up the next day."

"I thought you were close with Gail Kim?"

"No. She was as bad as everybody else, she thought I was stupid enough to believe she cared. I heard her talking behind my back."

Vince stroked his chin for a moment, seemingly reluctant to say what was on his mind. He found himself strangely touched by her story, a feeling he very rarely felt.

"You should have come to me." He blurted out.

Molly wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly. "Excuse me?"

"I said, you should have come to me." Vince repeated.

Molly was surprised into silence by his admission, he would have been the last person she would have considered opening up to during her bad patch.

"I know I appear cold hearted and don't seem to give a damn about my workers, but that is not true. I've worked hard to build this company up and we would never have achieved such success without a solid workforce."

As he said that, Molly tried to rid her mind of the thought of long road trips, working shows in front of miniscule crowds and with the bosses constantly on her back. She wanted to believe his spiel, but had been around long enough to know better. She had also been around long enough to know it was wise to agree with Vincent Kennedy McMahon, so she nodded her head approvingly.

"You know I rubber stamped your push into Evolution?" Vince changed the subject slightly. Molly recalled Eric Bischoff mentioning it and nodded once more to signify an affirmative response.

"Do you know why?" he asked. Molly pondered the question for a moment, but couldn't remember the exact reasoning; she shook her head.

"I'll tell you why... Ironically, what you did tonight was part of the reason why I selected you. I wanted somebody to re-inject some life into the women's division, some bite. Truth be told, we've had to water our product down over the past year, we've had to move away from the more... shall we say, risqué action."

Molly wasn't quite sure why he was disclosing such information to her, especially under the circumstances. Her initial reaction to being taken to one side by the chairman of the company, was that she was to be given her marching orders.

"I've had my eye on you for a while Molly. I generally hear very good things about your work rate and in ring performance... Sure, you seem to be a little outspoken from time to time, but we all mistakes."

Molly knew he was referring to her comments on the HLA segments from Raw a couple of years previously, her suspicions of being kept off television as a result would appear to have been correct. She brushed it aside, as she had learnt a valuable lesson from all that.

"I try Mr. McMahon... Speaking of mistakes, I really have messed up this time haven't I?" Molly said timidly, dreading his answer. Vince paced back and forth, keeping her waiting.

"Hmm... Let me tell you something. When I walked in here, I was ready to fire you on the spot. I should still fire you and the board of directors will no doubt feel the same way."

Molly bowed her head, fearing that her time with the company was up. It was her life and she couldn't bear the thought of losing her job.

"But... I think what transpired this evening might actually have done me a favour."

"I don't follow..."

"Like I said, I wanted somebody to inject some life into the women's division and tonight you have done just that. I'm not happy about the idea of having to foot Victoria's medical bill, or the possibility of a lawsuit if her career is over as a result of your attack... But, at least people will be talking about it. I think we have found the female equivalent of Triple H." He sounded excited at the prospect of that.

Molly wasn't sure how to react to his comments. It dawned on her that Hunter had begun to influence her thoughts and actions, deep down she knew that the sledgehammer attack was designed in part to prove a point to him; that was something she couldn't let Vince know, or anybody for that matter.

"Does that mean you're not going to fire me?"

"Well, we will probably have to fine you and make an example of you... To keep people happy. I'm not going to fire you though."

"Oh, thank you Mr. McMahon, you won't regret this." Molly said with a huge sigh of relief.

"Make sure I don't. You better run along and get that gash looked at." He ordered. Before leaving, Molly took one last look in his direction, he stood with his arms folded and had a stern complexion. She knew she had dodged a bullet this time and she had to make the most of it.


	11. ‘Leave me alone’

**Chapter 11: 'Leave me alone' **

Molly made sure to wrap a scarf around her neck before leaving the building; the weather outside was distinctly wintry, and a biting cold wind swept falling snow flakes around. After seeing the trainer and having some stitches administered for the gash on her head, she decided to head back to her hotel room, in order to take a steamy bath to unwind.

She wasn't keen on waiting around until the conclusion of Hunter's title match; she didn't want to face them until the next night, to give herself a chance to arrange her thoughts accordingly.

Her discussion with Mr. McMahon had opened her eyes to the way she had changed over the past few weeks, since hooking up with Evolution.

"..._I think we have found the female equivalent of Triple H."_

It was a flattering gesture in some respects, but Molly wasn't positive that she wanted to be a female equivalent of The Game. She knew enough about his past to know how despised he was by his peers and the fans, how mentally unstable he could be and how low he could stoop. Molly didn't want to become that, though it appeared that the metamorphosis had already shifted into overdrive.

As she made her way into the foyer of the arena, she was interrupted by an unwelcome presence; Todd Grisham accompanied by a cameraman.

"Molly, do you have a second for an interview?" he asked, scurrying over to her with a microphone in his hand. Molly rolled her eyes at the thought of having to conduct an interview, with the frame of mind she was in.

"No I don't. If you'll excuse me." she returned bluntly. Todd was undeterred by her refusal, keen to get the scoop on the motive behind her attack on Victoria.

"Can you explain the reasoning for attacking Victoria the way you did?"

Molly refused to comment, but that only prompted him to try harder to elicit a response.

"The preliminary reports from the doctors suggest that Victoria's knee has been severely injured and she is likely to be out of action for a long time. Don't you have anything to say about that?"

Molly cast a look of hatred in his direction, for having the nerve to annoy her and waste her time. She considered two options; she could use her fists, or use her mouth. It became an easy choice after the little pep-talk she'd had with Mr. McMahon. She darted in the direction of Grisham, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin.

"Let me make this clear for you," she began calmly, "I have nothing to say... to you." placing extra emphasis on the last part.

"But..."

"Get out of my face Grisham!" she spat irritably, ending the 'interview' there and then. She stormed out of the revolving doors at the entrance, into the night.

"I don't think she is happy." The dippy young interviewer pointed out to the cameraman, simply stating the obvious.

Molly adjusted her scarf, to try and keep as much of the chill out as possible. The freezing cold wind bit into her face, aggravating the stitches in her forehead. She rubbed her gloved hands together, as the mitts weren't helping much in the arctic conditions. It was just as well that the hotel for the event was just across the way from the arena, because she had not had time to hire a rental in advance; and she didn't fancy waiting for a cab to come by.

She trudged through the soft snow lining the ground, which made a sound she found extreme comfort in. It brought back memories of her playing in the snow as a child, a far cry from her existence now. As she daydreamed, she heard a voice calling out her name.

"Molly! Molly!"

She didn't recognize the adolescent male approaching her, the only conclusion she could draw was that it must have been a fan. That didn't make much sense seeing as the event was still in progress; there didn't appear to be any other fans on the relatively deserted streets lining the arena.

"Molly! Great match! I'm a huge fan of yours!" the fan enthused. He almost bumped into Molly as he sought to speak with his idol. He wasn't to know he'd picked a bad time.

"Uh, right." Molly said, the adulation sweeping right over her head with another sub-zero blast of wind.

"Would you sign my programme for me?" he asked, holding it out for Molly to autograph. Molly took a fleeting look at her gloved hands and didn't really want to have to take them off.

"Not right now." she said coldly.

"Oh. I came from out of state to see this, I only want an autograph... Please?" he begged. Molly experienced the same feeling she'd felt in the arena when Grisham was bothering her; a sensation she could find no way of harnessing.

"Just get away from me, you creep!"

She left the fan totally crushed in her wake, marching away from him. She had gotten no further than ten paces away from him, when she realized how heartless and crass she'd been. It wasn't his fault she was in such a bad mood and there was no need to act so disgracefully, especially as he only wanted an autograph.

'Is it any wonder I haven't got any fans?' she brooded, turning to try and reconcile with the guy she'd just devastated. She was about to open her mouth, when she saw that he'd dashed away.

"Making friends again I see."

Randy Orton had witnessed the man running off and presented his sarcastic spin on it. Molly would normally have snapped, but all she could manage in this instance was tears. Randy quickly noticed her sorrow and motioned towards her to offer some comfort.

"Hey Molly, what's the matter?" he asked, carefully placing his hand on her left shoulder. With his free hand, he tipped Molly's chin so he could see the look in her eyes. Her forlorn expression told him all he needed to be told, he had some work to do.

"Listen, we're gonna catch our death stood out here. Let's get you back to the hotel and we can try to sort this out." Randy assured her, showing maturity beyond his years. Molly managed the semblance of a smile, grateful for his gesture.

Randy pulled Molly in towards him, embracing her to protect her from the elements. She snuggled in, making the most of the warmth on offer, as they made their way across the street. It was not an ideal scenario for her, but in the circumstances she couldn't complain.

Once inside the lobby of the hotel, they brushed themselves down to remove the snow that had collected on their garments.

"Do you fancy a coffee?" Randy asked, pointing to the cafeteria further down the hallway.

"Sounds like a good idea." She replied, feeling the heat slowly return to her body parts. She also started to feel the effects of her grueling match earlier that night, as the effects of adrenaline began to wear off. Her limbs felt heavy and several parts of her anatomy ached dull pains. She resolved to make this drink a quick one, so she could jump into a nice soothing bath in her room.

The cafeteria was deserted, as Molly found a table to sit at. Randy insisted on going over to order the drinks, leaving Molly to slump into one of the plush couches in the room. She was let down by the fact it didn't feel overly comfortable, thanks to her physical status.

She watched Randy intently as he chatted with the girl behind the counter, who was serving him. She noticed that he seemed to have no problem charming the young blonde, who laughed at a couple of his quips. Molly grimaced, not keen on the way he was effectively seducing her. She wasn't jealous, at least she thought not. She didn't particularly want to spend too long around Randy, he seemed like a nice enough kid, but his ego was a large blot on his copy book.

Randy returned with two steaming hot cups of coffee and a big smile on his face. Molly didn't believe he was that pleased to see her, so it must have been something the waitress had said to him.

"What can you do, when they throw themselves at you like that one, hey?"

Molly sighed, and looked at the coffee Randy placed on the table in front of her. She noticed it was quite dark and didn't appear to have any milk in it.

"Thanks for asking how I like my coffee Randy." she said gloomily. Randy didn't seem to pick up that she was bemoaning the fact she'd have preferred some milk in her drink.

"That's okay, any time."

Molly let it go, taking a sip from her mug. It tasted utterly revolting to her, encapsulating her evening in a nutshell. 'I give up.' she concluded.

"You were awesome out there tonight, if you don't mind me saying." Randy praised her, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Thanks, I guess. I'd rather not talk about it though." Molly replied.

"Why not?"

"I just don't, okay?" Molly said in a stern manner. Randy lounged back in his seat and held up his hands, he didn't want to antagonize her. A moment of silence left the room a deathly hush, until Randy found something worth asking.

"Is there anything you do want to talk about?"

"No, not really..." Molly began, before hitting on something she'd mulled over whilst in hospital, "Actually, come to think of it..."

"Go on." Randy urged, all ears in anticipation.

"You. What's the story?" she asked, a question Randy clearly didn't comprehend. He shot her a perplexed gaze, seeking further reasoning.

"I've noticed Randy. Nobody else might have, but I've noticed the score with you."

Randy had no idea what Molly was getting at, he wasn't under the impression he was hiding anything from anyone.

"You've hardly said a word to me since I joined the group. Nobody noticed how cold you were towards me, ignoring me and avoiding me at every turn. You see I'm not like Hunter, or Ric, or Dave... I can see these things."

Molly gingerly sat up in her seat and leaned over the table, gripping Randy's eyes with her own.

"You're up to something Orton, I know it and you know it... I don't know what it is, but I am going to find out." she told him in no uncertain terms. Without further ado she upped and walked away, leaving him no chance to respond.

Randy just sat motionless in his seat, trying to make head or tail of what had just transpired. His intentions were honourable, but he got the impression that Molly believed he was after something else. The truth was that he wanted to get to know her better, he wasn't up to anything. His view of the situation was that they had something in common; something he could help her with.


	12. ‘Making sense of it all’

**Chapter 12: 'Making sense of it all' **

Molly left the bathroom, with naught but a towel wrapped around her naked body. Her hotel room radiated warmth, in stark contrast to the harsh climate outside. She collapsed onto her bed and shut her eyes, allowing herself to be alone with her thoughts... Finally.

She tried to make some sense of everything that had happened to her; tonight, the past few weeks, the past year. As soft classical tones hummed in the background from the in-room stereo, she found her mind float back in time...

The past twelve months had been hell, yet the year had promised to be a great one; she celebrated six months of holding the Women's Championship and had beaten off all her competitors to prove her dominance of the division. All except one... And that one person began to systematically destroy her life bit by bit. Victoria...

She was vanquished and the title which was her lifeblood disappeared, prompting Molly to lose the plot completely. She couldn't bear not having the title, not being the best; she had to get it back at all costs.

Molly huffed as she recalled the night when Steve Austin decided to poke his nose into her business, adding the stipulation for her title match at WrestleMania. At the time it didn't seem like that big a deal, she was convinced she could defeat Victoria and regain her belt.

As the event drew nearer though, she started to realize how stupid she'd been. Each day in the run-up to the event she would stare into a mirror, admiring her hair. It was soft, shiny and healthier than ever before. It had taken her a good couple of years to replenish after bleaching it blonde for so long. She couldn't bear the idea of losing it and the humiliation of being bald. The nightmare became a reality...

Molly flashed back to the night of WrestleMania, all alone back at her hotel room, evoking memories of how distraught she was.

_I dared to enter the bathroom and look in the mirror. I was confronted with the most hideous image I had ever pictured in my entire life; the light in the bathroom shined on my now stubbled scalp. Victoria shaved every last bit off, my pride and joy destroyed. _

_I couldn't hold back the tears, which dripped relentlessly from my eyes. What had I done to deserve this? Was I really that a bad person to warrant such a public execution?_

_Even though I sat alone in my room, I felt as though a thousand pairs of eyes were prying on me from all four walls. All watching me, the new freak show in town. I collapsed onto my bed, burying my face into my pillow and hoping the nightmare would fade away._

_I heard my cellphone ringing, so I picked it up and checked the display... Mom. I can't face speaking to anybody right now, I hope she'll understand._

_I cried myself to sleep that night..._

The thought of that night still upset her to the point of weeping. The next night at Raw was no better, as she had to confront her peers; the other divas. She'd been bullied before in her life, but had always managed to stick up for herself. That time was different, she couldn't muster up anything to fight back with.

"_Hey girls look, its Stone Cold! Oh, wait a second... No, it's Molly!" Trish cruelly joked._

"_Nice job Vicky!" Stacy praised her friend._

"_Yeah girl, you really put her in her place didn't you?" Lita added her opinion._

_I expected nothing less from those heartless bitches, but it still hurt. I saw the looks on each of their faces; they all seemed to gain tremendous pleasure from seeing me in such a state. Victoria... She was the most heinous of the lot, running her hands through her hair in order to mock me. 'That's it, you make the most of it' I thought, promising to myself that I would avenge this tragedy._

_Jan had been waiting for me at the entrance to the arena, she suggested I wear a wig. I wasn't too keen on the idea at first, but then realized that it had to be better than walking around bald._

_I found a quiet corner of the locker room, and pulled the hairpiece onto my head. I looked up at my reflection; the long blonde hair looked horrendous and the accompanying black chinstrap hardly blended into the colour of my skin. I looked ridiculous and didn't I just know the other girls were going to let me know about it..._

That situation rumbled on for a good few months, as all the girls got their cheap pops from it; even her so called friend Gail Kim. Molly knew she was in on it, but with no other friends to turn to, she had little choice but to keep it to herself.

Her performances suffered badly, as she couldn't focus on the game properly. As she was so preoccupied with her lack of hair, she made crucial mistakes and lost match after match. Falling away into obscurity, she lost a severe amount of credibility and started to wonder if her career was drifting down the drain.

Then the whirlwind of events hit her, culminating in her joining Evolution. Because of how bad her life had been over the preceding months, she welcomed that with open arms and finally thought she had found people who cared about her and who she could trust.

This brought her back to her present situation and the way Triple H had stabbed her in the back. She should have felt hatred, bitter and twisted emotions towards him. But they weren't there, they didn't surface. She still yearned for him to be by her side, she still wanted him to touch her heart, the way he had when he hugged her in the dressing room.

The only explanation she could muster, related back to the days when she teamed with her cousins. She paused for a moment, reflecting fondly on her late cousin.

"Rest in peace Crash." she whispered softly, eyeing the heavens through the window in her room. She missed him dearly.

Reluctantly getting back to her analysis, she remembered how her cousins had always taught her tough love. They looked out for her, but tried to leave her to fight her own battles in order for her to learn to look after herself. 'Perhaps Hunter is operating a similar policy.' she wondered.

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made; she envisaged that Hunter just wanted to be sure he had chosen the right girl and Hell in a Cell was the perfect test. Even the part about not accommodating losers could be rationalized. Evolution was about being the best, and losing didn't fit into that equation. She had no problem with that, she despised being beaten as much as Hunter did and wanted to uphold the prestige of their group.

She sat up and walked over to her dresser, where a percolator was stationed and fortunately for her, some tubs of milk. She was dying for a proper cup of coffee, after the sorry excuse for one that Randy had bought her earlier.

She was still mystified by Randy's sudden interest in her. For the first few weeks of her tenure in Evolution he'd taken no notice of her, then as if by magic he pretended to be her best friend or something. It seemed to be a little too fishy for her liking, she was confident he was up to something.

To an outsider her logic was completely muddled. She wanted to be closer to the man who was treating her with contempt and didn't seem to care, yet was pushing away the man who gave the impression of wanting to help; albeit belatedly. That was how mixed up her mind was, thanks to the events in her recent past.

Hunter had brainwashed her, without necessarily realizing it.


	13. ‘Another day, another rival’

**Chapter 13: 'Another day... Another rival' **

Molly stepped out of the rental car, and took a deep breath of the fresh air outside the arena. It was early evening and the sun hadn't quite set yet, painting the sky in an ominous shade of red. For once, Molly's mood didn't mimic the setting, as she opened the trunk to retrieve her bags.

"You need a hand with that Mol?"

"I'm okay thanks Dave." Molly replied to Batista, who had been kind enough to pick her up from the hotel earlier that morning. "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it."

Dave returned the smile she flashed in his direction and set about collecting his own belongings. With their gear in tow, they headed for the building.

"How come you wanted to get down here so early? The other guys are going to be here for another hour at least?" Dave asked. It was a question that had been going through his head for the last hour of their car journey. He'd not had a chance to pose it earlier, because Molly had been snoozing.

Molly flicked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and cocked her head in his direction, before filling him in, "I have something to clear up with Eric Bischoff. I'm still a bit sore after last night's match and don't really fancy being in action tonight."

"I'm not surprised, that was one brutal killing you dished out last night. You did us all proud." Dave said, giving her the thumbs up.

Molly shrugged, "Shucks Dave, you're too kind!"

Randy had tried to dish out similar praise the night before, but even accounting for her mood, she regarded Dave's words as far more genuine and believable. It all stemmed back to her stay in hospital and him being at her side when she came around; he was a totally different person away from wrestling, displaying a compassionate side that most people would never imagine possible.

"Well I'll leave you to it then, I'm going to head to the canteen for a bite to eat."

"Okay Dave, I'll catch up with you later. Thanks again for everything today."

"It's a pleasure Mol... Oh, and don't worry about any hassle from anybody tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"I've got your back, no more sneak attacks from now on." he assured her, adding a sly wink for good measure.

Molly felt good inside as she watched him walk away; she was thankful to have such a powerful hulk of a man fighting in her corner, she knew how much easier that would make her life during her latest championship reign. And he made a good friend too...

She set about finding Bischoff and was in luck instantly; he was stood in the reception area, having an altercation with the lady sat at the desk.

"I don't care about procedures! I want somebody on to it right this minute!" he yelled.

Molly looked on as he flailed his arms around, slammed them on the counter and gestured to tear his hair out. She walked over and tried to prevent him having a coronary.

"Problem Eric?" she said, startling the already disturbed General Manager.

"Huh... Oh it's you Molly. Can you believe this, they haven't even assigned me an office for today's show!" he ranted.

"You're kidding? Second class citizen hey..."

"Heads will roll, let me guarantee you!" he said, the annoyance evident on his face as it pulsed a bright shade of red.

"I'm sure... Listen, do you have a minute?" Molly asked, changing the subject. Bischoff pulled back the sleeve of his jacket and checked his watch, before nodding and pointing to a couch in the reception area of the arena. Molly followed his lead.

"I must say you are looking much happier today Molly... Not to mention the fact you look as beautiful as ever." he showered praise on her, as they both settled themselves on the seat. She became aware of the way he was eyeing her up, which prompted her to cross her legs and fidget with her fingers. Once he re-established eye contact, she responded.

"Thanks Eric. I guess I am feeling a bit happier with myself today."

"I'm glad to hear it, I didn't particularly enjoy our 'confrontation' last night."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Molly said, blushing at the reference to their spat. Eric held his hand up to signify that it was all water under the bridge.

"Hey, there's no need to apologise, we all lose our cool from time to time." he pointed out, deliberately referring to his outburst with the lady at the reception desk. He glanced back at the reception cubicle and shook his head scornfully. "By the way, I've already spoken with Vince... He filled me in on your little conversation."

"Oh, well um..."

"It's okay Molly, I have no problem with the way you conducted yourself last night."

"You don't?"

"Not at all. But you really should have come to me earlier if you had a problem with your colleagues."

Molly realised that Vince had obviously left no stone unturned in his exchange with Eric, something she didn't appreciate.

"He told you everything then..."

"Pretty much. I wished you would have come to me, I could have helped." he said, taking one of Molly's hands into his own hand. She began to feel uneasy about how close he was to her and resolved to get the conversation over with as quickly as possible; hoping to avoid a repeat of the previous night's altercation in the process.

"Um, okay... I appreciate the sentiment." she lied. As much as she liked being on the right side of her immediate boss, she was worried he was getting the wrong impression about their 'relationship'. It was purely a professional one in her eyes. If he scratched her back then she would scratch his... Not in the literal sense of the word however.

Molly twitched nervously and became flustered as Eric squeezed her hand a little tighter, causing her to wrench it from his grasp. Eric noticed her uneasiness and bit his lip apologetically. Before he could say anything, they were interrupted.

"Lovers tiff?"

They both turned to face Trish Stratus who had just entered the lobby and made her presence felt. Molly sensed her good mood was going to be a very short lived one.

"Do you ever keep your nose out of other people's business?" Molly said, as she leapt to her feet to get in Trish's face. Trish smirked, gratified to see that she was still capable of winding Molly up.

"Well Molly, I wish I could. But how do you expect me to keep your little affair with Eric quiet?" she replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Leave it Molly." Bischoff attempted to interject.

"Stay out of this." Molly warned him, before answering back to Trish, "There's nothing happening between me and Eric Bischoff, so you'd be well advised to keep your opinions to yourself. Besides, my business is none of yours."

"Oh, but I am afraid it is." Trish responded.

"And how is that?"

Trish swept her lustrous blonde tresses over her shoulder and pointed towards the Women's Title, which gleamed on top of Molly's bags on the floor. "Well... You see that shiny belt over there? That's your business right?"

"Right."

"It happens to be my business also. And I think it is time you and I renewed our little rivalry, in order for the belt to return to its rightful owner. Tonight."

Molly was tempted to agree to the match there and then, but Eric Bischoff had other ideas. He got up from the couch and physically stepped between the two feuding ladies.

"Now, now Trish. Not so fast. I decide who fights who round here... And there is no way you are getting a title shot tonight." he declared.

Trish huffed, although she wasn't surprised at all; Eric Bischoff made no secret of how much he hated her.

"What a surprise... It must be nice to have this creep sticking up for you Molly."

The now livid Molly tried to jostle past Trish in order to get her hands on her, but Bischoff held her off; albeit at a struggle. Trish managed to cast aside the disappointment of her proposal being rejected, preferring to laugh at the comical efforts of Bischoff holding back the raging diva.

"Trish... You don't have a match with Molly tonight..." Eric just about managed to say, as he continued to hold off Molly's advances. "But you do have a match with Gail Kim... You're going to have to earn your title shot..."

Trish paused and considered his suggestion before coming up with another witty response, "Fine by me Eric. Some of us don't have to sleep with the boss to win a title shot after all."

Molly stopped dead in her tracks and stood wide mouthed at Trish's patent insinuation that she had resorted to those antics to get her title shot. The cheap pop deeply offended her.

The Canadian vixen left the scene, satisfied that she had left a lasting impression on her rival. Molly remained rooted to the spot, her eyes transfixed on Trish in an intense glare.

"She is going to pay." Molly promised, snarling and gritting her teeth together.

"Molly, I understand your frustration... But I don't want you getting involved in that match tonight... Do you hear me?" Bischoff advised her, placing special emphasis on the word 'you'.

"Fine... Just be aware of one thing though. Nobody speaks to me like that and gets away with it." Molly retorted with venomous tones hissing in her voice, "Nobody..."

Bischoff brushed himself down and mulled over her comments, as Molly picked up her belongings and stormed off in the direction of the locker rooms. Her good mood had indeed been shattered.

* * *

A/N - I just want to say thanks to everyone who has submitted reviews so far, I appreciate your comments and support. SD


	14. ‘Out of the blue’

**Chapter 14: 'Out of the blue' **

Molly dismissively flicked through the pages of the latest WWE publication, disgusted by the fact she was not mentioned on any of them. No pictures, no editorial, nothing. Meantime, she was bombarded with images of Trish, Lita and Stacy Keibler, who had been involved in some kind of publicity stunt.

"Sluts." she mumbled to herself, flinging the magazine over her shoulder and out of her sight. She folded her arms and slumped back into the couch she was seated on in the Evolution dressing room. She had been alone in there for the past half an hour and had only picked up the magazine out of sheer boredom.

She would have ventured out to see where Dave had gotten to, if not for the fear that she would bump into Trish. The stinging comments from earlier were still ringing in her ears and she didn't fancy a repeat performance. Molly was wise enough to know that Trish's main strength was her mouth; there would be better opportunities to get the upper hand.

She sat around daydreaming and twiddling her thumbs for several more minutes, until Hunter and Ric finally decided to make an appearance. 'About time...' she thought.

"I'm telling you Naitch, last night was gold man... Pure gold."

"You're telling me! Evolution is on fire baby... Woooo! On fire d'you hear me! Woooo!"

"Nice to see everything has come up smelling of roses." Molly piped up. The two men managed to tear themselves away from each other for long enough to see her slouched on the chair in front of them.

"Oh, hey Molly." Hunter said, the ironic comment drifting over his head completely; Ric picked up on it quick as a flash though.

"She's referring to last night Trips." Ric leant over and whispered in his ear.

"Huh?"

"The Hell in a Cell match..."

"I wouldn't bother playing dumb with me guys, I know all about your little plan last night." Molly butted in. Hunter and Ric both looked at each other, trying to play innocent but knowing fully well that they had been rumbled. Hunter stepped forward and held his hands up as a repentant gesture.

"Forget it. Anyway, don't let me be the party pooper, looks like you got yourself an early Christmas present." Molly said, referring to the title belt proudly draped on Hunter's shoulder.

"Listen to the girl man, she's right... The title is back where it belongs! Woooo!" Ric enthused.

Molly cringed at Ric's over the top antics, but it at least allowed her to take her mind off the altercation with Trish and the shocking advances of Bischoff.

"Yeah, I have to say... Feels pretty good being back on top of the world again." Hunter admitted, he never needed an excuse to laud praise on himself. "Hey Molly, any idea where the other guys are?"

Molly motioned with her hands to indicate that she didn't.

"Don't worry about it champ, I'll round 'em up for you." Ric offered, "You stay here and keep our number one girl happy!"

He left the room to find Randy and Dave, leaving Molly alone with Hunter for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Hunter took Ric's advice and sat down next to Molly, neither really knowing what to expect from the other.

"So you..." Molly started.

"Listen..." Hunter tried to speak at the same time, "After you."

"No, carry on."

"Last night, I think you must have gotten the wrong end of the stick or something. We didn't make that match up to set you up or anything like that. I promise you." Hunter said, trying to be as convincing as he could.

"It's time for her to prove her worth to us." Molly responded, attempting to mimic Hunter's gruff voice, "What am I to you Hunter? A toy that you can play with and put down when it suits you? Do you ever think of anybody but yourself?"  
  
"Well, you had fun out there with the crazy woman didn't you? You got what you wanted?" Hunter riposted, not liking the way he was being spoken to.

"That's not the point and you know it. I did what I had to do, I certainly didn't do it to... impress you." Molly hesitated in delivering the last line, knowing deep down that her wild attack on Victoria was for the benefit of Hunter.

"You expect me to believe that Molls?" he said, using a pet name that nobody else had ever used before. Molly's head was screaming blue murder, whilst her heart swung in the opposite direction. Her head held the ascendancy, but her heart was gaining leverage with every passing second.

"Well, um... It's true!" she spluttered, "Don't for one second think that any of my actions are to impress you and the other guys. I do things for myself, always have done, always will."

Hunter fell back deeper into the couch, laughing his head off at her statement. Molly frowned at him not taking her seriously and decided to do something about it. She lifted her hand to throw a slap, only for him to spring back to life to thwart her swing. He grabbed her wrist and reacted quickly to block an attack from Molly's other hand. Her body shook furiously, as she tried to break free from his grasp.

"I love women when they get angry..." Hunter jibed, not able to hide his satisfaction at seeing Molly lose her temper with him.

"Why you... Let go of me right now, before I do something you might reg..." Molly shouted back, before being physically thwarted in mid sentence...

Hunter leant in and placed an oral block on her verbal onslaught, planting his lips squarely on Molly's. Molly squirmed for a few seconds, before coming to terms with what was happening. It wasn't the most passionate of kisses, but it was mouth-to-mouth action all the same, leaving her totally blown away.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but for Molly it felt like it would never end. Her heart thumped against her chest frantically and her spine tingled, long after Hunter broke away.

Molly sat motionless in a state of complete shock, her face painting a totally different portrait to her internal emotions; it was a blank canvas. Hunter immediately assumed he had gone too far, as he relinquished his grip on her wrists; they flopped harmlessly to her lap.

He felt the urge to apologise for his impromptu reaction, but saying sorry had never been his strong suit. He was rescued by a timely intrusion of sorts.

"Hey Hunter, Molly... What's up with her?" Randy said, poking his head round the door to the dressing room.

"What? Oh, she's... Wait a minute, how long have you been stood there?" Hunter demanded, feeling uneasy about the possibility of being caught in the act.

"I just walked in this second." Randy answered, "I only came to tell you that your victory party is about to start... Is she okay?"

He studied Molly closely, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. He was on to Hunter; he knew he was up to his old tricks, but knew he couldn't confront the issue without compromising his position within Evolution.

"Yeah, she's just feeling a little faint."

"Right..."

"I'll be down to the ring in a second, go wait for me there."

"Sure thing boss." Randy responded, in as sarcastic a manner as he could get away with, without alerting Hunter's attention to it.

After being satisfied that Randy had left the vicinity, Hunter turned his attention back to Molly, who seemed to be conscious again.

"Molls, I didn't mean to offend you by... you know... kissing you..."

"It's okay Hunter." Molly sprung back to life with a prompt reaction to his faltering statement.

"It is?"

"I think so... Just answer one question." Molly said, pivoting her head to establish eye contact with the man who had stolen her heart, "Why me?"

Hunter's eyes squirmed away from her gaze, as he struggled to find an answer to her question. Molly thought as much, he'd done it just because he could.

"You think I'm easy to take advantage of?"

"It's not like that Molly... I'm not..."

"I'm easy game to somebody like you, right?"

"No, you're not."

"Little Molly Holly... She must be desperate..."

Hunter cracked, he couldn't take any more of her remarks, "Stop it! Stop trying to put words in my mouth for god's sake! It happened... I'm not sure why, but it did okay?"

Molly cowered somewhat as Hunter raised his voice at her, without feeling threatened necessarily. She actually 'liked' it when Hunter got enraged, in much the same way he had enjoyed her tantrum earlier. Maybe because she knew that was the 'real Hunter' and not the phony version being unnaturally pleasant.

"Look, I don't have time to talk about this now, I need to be out in the ring." Hunter told her, "Maybe we can talk about it over dinner later... That is if you trust me?"

"Um, sure." Molly replied, without really thinking about it.

Hunter took one last lingering look into Molly's eyes as he retrieved the holy grail; 'his' World Heavyweight Title. Molly stared right back, wondering if she was viewing her own holy grail...

"Keep this to yourself though, not a word to the other guys. You got me?"

Molly nodded agreeably and watched him leave the room. She turned to a mirror on the wall and gazed at her own reflection for a moment. She ran a hand through her hair, then placed it over her mouth. 'Did he really kiss me just now?'


	15. ‘Twists and turns’

**Chapter 15: 'Twists and turns' **

The ring was lined with red carpet and gold balloons littered the scene, as Evolution occupied it. All four men were modeling the highest quality Armani suits, sporting their expensive Rolex watches and jewelery, whilst generally looking like a million bucks. Hunter stood front and centre, the glistening Heavyweight Championship belt draped magnificently on his shoulder. He was ready to address the world that he was sitting atop of.

Molly watched the action unfold on the monitor in the dressing room. She wanted to be out there with them, but Bischoff had insisted that she stay off the camera for one week; the public reaction to her crucifixion of Victoria was unsavoury to say the least. This was evidenced by an abundance of signs in the crowd highlighting the ill feeling; 'Molly Evil-ution' was one that particularly stood out.

As Hunter began his acceptance speech, she was surprised to hear her name mentioned. "Some of you may be wondering where our jewel in the crown is tonight... Quite frankly it's none of your business, but for the record... Molly has taken the night off tonight." The crowd reacted angrily to the mention of her name.

Ignoring that, she was flattered to be referred to as the 'jewel in the crown'; nobody had ever held her in that regard. She had now totally disregarded the notion that Hunter had plotted against her in setting up the Hell in the Cell match, she was sold on the idea that she was an integral part of the team. 'The kiss' had done much to solidify her feelings, despite the fact she had no idea what Hunter's motives were for carrying it out.

No sooner was she straightening things out in her head, when something else would come along to mix them up. That was the emerging theme from being involved with Evolution; it was all about life in the fast lane and keeping up was a struggle.

She managed to rip her loving gaze away from Hunter for long enough to notice the cold actions of one of the men in the ring with him. Randy Orton. He didn't look thrilled to be part of proceedings, as Molly kept her eye on him for a minute. She got the impression that his mind was ticking over, plotting away. It was like a sixth sense; she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but had seen similar things in the past from her older cousin Bob. They didn't have to say a word, the look in their eyes said more than enough.

Hunter continued oblivious to the fact there was obvious dissention in the ranks. "You all saw what she did to that piece of trash last night... Let that serve as warning to everyone what Evolution is all about. We're not gonna take any crap from anyone, any more. That goes for everyone in the back... And each and every one of you chumps in this arena." He didn't endear himself to the audience, who collectively howled in derision towards his arrogant declaration.

"I mean, look at you all. You all sit there and shake your fists and whine like babies, because you cannot face up to the reality of it all... You know you cannot compete with 'us'. You know you are not in our 'league'... A bit like Chris Benoit... He is not in 'my' league, he knows it and all of you know it!"

Chants of 'asshole... asshole...' didn't necessarily indicate that the crowd agreed with his belief. Hunter didn't become riled, he loved being hated and they were playing right into his hands.

"Hide behind the truth all you like, the simple facts of the matter are there in black and white... Molly is still 'your' Women's Champion... And now I stand before you as 'your' World... Heavyweight... Champion!" he declared, holding the prized belt aloft above his head. Ric and Dave enthusiastically put their hands together to celebrate the perceived brilliance of their leader. Randy was more reserved with his applause, as he resented the man stood in front of him.

Back in the dressing room, Molly looked down at her end of the bargain... The Women's Championship. There were few better sights than seeing her name etched into the gold nameplate, which served to remind her of how precious the title was to her. She wasn't the only one to covet it...

"You've got a nerve."

The flame haired Lita stood at the entrance to the room. Lita was one of the last people Molly really wanted to have a conversation with, as they had never seen eye to eye.

"Did Trash send you along?" Molly replied in a snide tone. Lita didn't ask permission to enter the room, striding in with purpose and forcing Molly to spring up to her feet. The two stood toe to toe for a moment, in a tense stand off.

"Trish? Who the hell is she?" was Lita's response. Molly was confused, as she assumed they got along well with each other.

"Had a falling out have we?"

"Let's cut the crap Molly," Lita began, ignoring her line of inquiry, "I'm here because of what you did last night, Vicky happens to be one of my best friends and I'm not going to stand back and let you get away with the stunt you pulled last night!"

"Stunt? What stunt would that be?" Molly found herself adopting a smarmy attitude, akin to what she was up against with Trish earlier that day. Fighting fire with fire was never a good idea against Trish, but where Lita was concerned it was an affective tactic.

"Just keep it up Molly... It will be a pleasure to relieve you of that title and avenge your spineless attack on Vicky." Lita spat, furious at Molly's temerity.

"Ha, you are going to relieve me of the title! Let me see, when did you win it last?"

As Molly laughed at her own comments, Lita found herself raising a fist to throw a punch. Before she could, she felt her wrist being grabbed by someone from behind, a tight grip that forced her to yelp in pain.

"Is she bothering you Molly?" it was Batista, making his presence felt. Lita tried to fight back, but Dave brushed off her puny attempt to land a punch on him. He proceeded to drag her across the dressing room, as she screamed blue murder at him.

"Get your punk ass out of here!" he yelled, literally throwing her out into the corridor. He slammed the door and turned his attentions back to a relatively unflustered Molly.

"Good job I'm around hey?" he pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"I had the situation under control... But I appreciate your help anyway." Molly said with a smile. Without any contemplation, she headed over to him and gave him a big hug, startling him somewhat. To her, it was purely a platonic gesture, but he was not so sure.

"What's this for?" he quizzed her.

"Just in case you don't believe me, when I say I appreciate it." she replied.

"Okay... I believe you." he said, as they broke away from each other.

"Does this mean I have used up all my favours for today?"

"No way... Like I said earlier, I've got your back tonight... And any other night for that matter."

Molly liked the sound of that and had something in mind that she needed assistance with. She leant in and whispered her wishes into his ear, which he considered and agreed to with a simple nod.

"Sure thing." he said, making Molly's eyes light up. She felt like things were looking up for her at long last.

"Where are the other guys?" she inquired, as she noticed they were not present.

"Did you not see what just went down?" Dave answered, Molly shaking her head in bewilderment, "Benoit, Jericho and Edge thought it would be a good idea to gatecrash our party. Man, those guys irritate me!" Molly could see him shaking with anger, simply at the thought of those men.

"So where are they now?"

"They've gone to chew Bischoff's ear about it, no doubt we will get a chance to kick their asses later tonight. After I attend to your needs of course."

"Dave!" Molly replied sharply, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. Dave's face turned a bright shade of red, as he realized what he had just said.

"Erm, I didn't mean... Uh, I don't know... Women." he sighed.

Molly was amused by his troubled reaction, but quickly sought to appease him. "I'm only kidding Dave, I know you are an honourable guy." she said sincerely, with real feeling.

"Yeah... I..." he hesitated, seemingly unsure of how to reply to her words. Molly noticed that he'd backed off and seemed to have gone into his shell all of a sudden.

"Listen Molly, I'm... Um, going to go and check up on the guys. Will you be okay on your own?" he said hurriedly.

"I guess."

"I'll catch up with you... Speak... Oh, you know. Later." he spluttered, before leaving the room in a rush.

Molly was perplexed by his bizarre behaviour, she couldn't make head or tail of it. It was as if she had said something to offend him. A strange night was getting stranger with each passing minute.


	16. ‘Becoming a nuisance’

**Chapter 16: 'Becoming a nuisance'**

Trish had dominated her match with Gail Kim, as she threw her across the ring into the turnbuckle. The crowd roared approvingly as she slapped the taste right out of the Korean's mouth.

"Hey, come on Trish, get her out of the corner!" referee Jack Doan ordered her.

She obeyed the instruction and set up to execute the Stratusfaction. She went to apply the headlock, only to be disturbed by the sight of somebody making their way towards the ring. It was not a pretty sight either. She left Gail Kim, to remonstrate from the ropes.

"What the hell do you want?" she bellowed. The man walking down the ramp stopped half way down and slammed a fist into the opposite palm, gritting his teeth in a threatening way.

Trish couldn't help but feel intimidated by his presence and totally forgot about her opponent in the ring. Gail crawled across to her and scooped her up with a schoolboy pinning maneuver. Trish kicked her legs wildly, trying to escape the predicament, but the handful of tights that Gail grabbed served to make it a futile attempt. Jack brought his hand down for the three count, to rob her of the match.

Gail rolled out of the ring immediately, leaving an animated Trish to throw a fit in the ring. She pointed furiously at the man on the ramp, whose response was to snicker at her, before continuing his progress towards the ring. Trish's look of frustration quickly turned to one of fright.

She wanted to escape the ring, but her legs seemed to freeze as he jumped onto the ring apron and through the ropes. He stomped towards her and grabbed a big clump of her blonde hair. She shrieked as he yanked at it, tearing hairs from their roots.

"Please... Don't hurt me Batista..." she pleaded forlornly, sobbing at the thought of her inevitable fate. Jack Doan tried to intervene, but retreated as soon as Batista locked his fearsome gaze in his direction.

Trish eyed an opportunity to land a sneaky blow to his lower extremities, as she thrust her knee forcefully into his groin. Batista grimaced, but was unrelenting with his grip of her. In return for her show of defiance, he used his free hand to slap her across the face.

"You shouldn't have done that bitch!"

He then became distracted as the crowd roared, knowing full well they wouldn't react like that to his actions. He relinquished his hold on Trish and checked out what the reason for the commotion was. His answer came in the form of a boot to the face, laying him out on his feet.

Trish looked on in astonishment as Shawn Michaels stood above the fallen beast, saving her from further torture. The audience went ballistic as Trish walked over and hugged him to thank him for rescuing her. The Heartbreak Kid lifted her arm aloft and led her from the ring, whilst Batista began to groggily drag his frame from the canvas.

Back in the Evolution dressing room, Molly paced back and forth in an agitated fashion. With pouted lips and a furrowed brow, there was no doubt that she was irritated by the outcome of the events out in the arena. Randy was also in the room with her and he noticed that she was less than happy with what had transpired on the monitor in there.

"Come on Molly, at least she didn't win the match." Randy said, hardly helping her mood.

"What? Shut up Randy."

"I was only saying..."

"Yeah, well don't! Just mind your own business will you!" she snapped.

Randy shook his head and went back to reading the magazine he'd found on the floor in the dressing room. Molly caught a glimpse of it and recognized it as being the one she had discarded earlier.

"What on earth are you reading that trash for?!"

She ripped the publication from his grasp and was horrified to see which pages he was looking at. It was turned to the photo shoot article, featuring Trish amongst others. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Fantastic... Not only does that skank escape from my plan, but you are sat here ogling her... Ugh, you make me sick!"

"Huh? I wasn't..." Randy started, but decided to refrain from arguing with her, "Oh, it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter? You're telling me it doesn't matter!"

"Yeah, something like that. How about you mind 'your' own business?" he came back, a smug grin forming on his face. Needless to say, Molly didn't react positively to that.

"Why, you..." She lunged for him and slapped her fists across his toned chest. He flinched at first, but quickly sat back in his seat and let her carry on regardless.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" Hunter burst into the room with Ric and dragged Molly away from Randy.

"Molly's pissed because her little plan to beat Trish up went wrong." Randy reacted with his spin on things. Molly's fixed stare could have burnt a hole in him.

"Molly?" Hunter asked, looking towards her with an inquiring expression. She ignored him and kept her attention focused squarely on Randy.

"I'm on to you Orton." she said coldly.

"Come on people, this is supposed to be a night of celebration!" Ric interjected.

"He's right, let's cut this crap out right now!" Hunter laid down the law, "You guys better get ready for tonight's match, I'm going to get Molly out of here."

Molly reluctantly followed his lead, but couldn't resist one last bite at Randy. "I'm on to you..."

Hunter led her out of the locker room area and towards the parking lot where the Evolution limousine was stationed. The entire journey was conducted in silence, as Molly continued to stew about her altercation with Randy. There was also the confusion in the air about their 'relationship'.

As they reached the vehicle, Hunter broke the silence, "What are you so pissed about? What's the deal with Stratus?"

Molly bowed her head and huffed, she didn't want to talk about it. Hunter coaxed her face up with his index finger, looking for some sort of a clue as to why she was so distressed.

"Come on Molls."

"Well... You must know about our history, right?"

"It's pretty common knowledge, yeah."

"I want her eliminated, she has been a thorn in my side for too long. I thought Dave would get the job done for me tonight... it would have worked, except for Shawn Michaels poking his nose in. Damn him!" she exclaimed.

"Wait a minute... Michaels?" Hunter said, surprised at the revelation. He hadn't seen the events unfold, as he had been busy sorting his own business out.

"Yeah, he came to her rescue."

"That bastard, he doesn't know when to stop does he? Don't you worry about it... 'we' will deal with him and Stratus next week."

Molly suddenly perked up, confident that with Hunter by her side she could swat away the nuisance that was Trish Stratus. The driver of the limo held the door open for Molly to get inside.

"Take Molly back to the penthouse suite, then I want your ass back here." Hunter instructed him harshly, before facing Molly once more, "You go get yourself ready for tonight and I'll catch up with you later, once we are finished here."

"Um, I haven't got anything to wear." she pointed out, thinking practically.

"Sure you have, all your gear is in the penthouse." he replied.

That surprised Molly, as she hadn't roomed with the guys since her stay in hospital prior to Survivor Series. It was becoming more apparent that they were so wrapped up with their own lives, that they didn't have the time to worry about each other and hadn't even noticed her absence. Which made Hunter's sudden interest all the more confusing...


	17. ‘Believing the dream’

**Chapter 17: 'Believing the dream'**

Molly added the finishing touches to her makeup, applying some cherry red lipstick. She took one last look in the mirror to make sure her hair was right, then stood back and checked her dress. The black silken evening gown hugged the curves of her body; she couldn't remember the last time she dressed up so imperially, or if she had ever enjoyed the sight of her own reflection as much as she did right then.

She had no idea what to expect from the night ahead and her 'date' with Hunter. She couldn't even be certain if he'd even show up, given his recent track record of showing an interest when it suited. She felt the inevitable butterflies fluttering around in her tummy, as she prayed that he would not let her down.

She hadn't been on a date for over a year; that had been a forgettable occasion, so she was fully prepared for a similar fate. The mere recollection of that horrific memory cast doubt into her fragile mind. She was not sure whether she really did harbour true feelings for Hunter, or was just lusting after something which should have been forbidden.

A quick glance at her watch confirmed that the time to discover the answer to her question was near. The show had finished and Hunter should have been on his way. Molly's attention was diverted by the buzz of her cellphone in her jacket, which she fumbled around frantically to retrieve. The display indicated that Dave was trying to contact her, so she flipped it open and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Molly, its Dave."

"Yes, what's up?"

"Listen, that little bitch got away earlier... I'm... I'm sorry." Dave said repentantly.

"You and me both." Molly said assertively.

"Are you pissed with me?"

Molly paused; her immediate reaction was that she was furious with his ineptitude for allowing Trish to escape unharmed, but she managed to suppress the ill feeling.

"Not you Dave... You couldn't do anything about Shawn's interference."

"I guess... Well I'm sorry anyway. She won't get away next time, I can assure you of that."

"That's okay, I will deal with her myself next week."

"If you're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Oh, one other thing."

"Yes?"

"We're hitting a club tonight."

"You're what?" Molly said, not able to hide disgust in her voice.

"Um, we're going out... Don't worry, Hunter said he was heading back there to check up on you... Unless you wanted to hook up with us?"

"No, I'm alright here thanks." she replied bluntly.

"Well, if you change your mind..."

"I'm not in the mood, but thanks for the offer all the same."

"Have a good night then, I'll see you tomorrow no doubt."

"Bye Dave." she signed off, flipping the phone shut. She didn't have chance to fume about the fact that Hunter was going to be 'checking up' on her, because there he was, stood in front of her in the penthouse suite. He scrutinized her attire closely, before fixing his eyes onto hers.

"Molls... You look incredible..." he purred.

Molly half wanted to spout a tirade of abuse... But the vision of the man in her presence put an abrupt stop to that. He was dressed in the most immaculate tuxedo, finely pressed without a crease in sight. His hair shined radiantly and was slicked back into a neat ponytail, and she could detect the light whiff of cologne in the air. She was lost for words, she had never seen a man go to so much trouble for her; at least she hoped it was for her benefit.

"What did Dave want?" he asked, having overheard the end of her phone call.

"He said everyone is off to some nightclub... And that you were coming here... to check up on me." she said disconsolately, fearful of the possibility he was going to leave her high and dry in order to join up with them. He picked up on her insecurity and laughed quietly to himself.

"You think I'm gonna desert you... I can see it in your eyes hun." he said, very calmly. Molly quivered, hating the fact he could read her like a book.

"I'm telling you, those guys can be a pain sometimes. If Dave hadn't have suggested I come check up on you, I'd have never have gotten away from them."

"You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble... For me." she said timidly.

"For you? Of course I should." he countered with conviction. Molly felt a hot flush come over her, as his eyes examined her up and down once more. "Judging by the hot chick I'm in the presence of, I'd say this is the minimum effort required on my part to qualify for your affections."

Needless to say, she blushed profusely at being called a 'hot chick'. She was mesmerized by the level of self confidence he had, which was the complete opposite of herself; she felt like a nervous wreck.

"Well... Do you like, or not? The silence is killing me!" he quipped, trying to lighten the atmosphere to make Molly feel more comfortable. She was having trouble composing herself, she didn't know what to say or do. Hunter walked across and took her hands into his, squeezing them tenderly.

"Its okay babe, this isn't a test or anything... Relax." he reassured her, "Listen, I'm not particularly hungry... Are you?" Molly shook her head, she had lost her appetite from the moment he kissed her earlier. The only thing she wanted to taste was him and those rough lips of his.

"How about we check out a quiet bar in town... Give us a chance to get to know each other better?" he suggested. Molly deliberated for a couple of seconds, because she wasn't much of a drinker. But the chance to find out more about Hunter tempted her into accepting his proposal.

"Sure, why not." she answered and her lips finally broke into a smile.

Hunter replicated her expression and took her coat from the stool it was sat on. He held it for her whilst she slipped into it, and then proceeded to lead her out of the penthouse, opening the door for her like a perfect gentleman.

The whole experience was totally surreal to Molly; the man who was known as the Cerebral Assassin and one of the most cold hearted people in the business, was treating her like she was royalty. It was almost as if he'd had a personality transplant after winning the World Heavyweight Title...


	18. ‘Getting to know each other’

**Chapter 18: 'Getting to know each other'**

There happened to be a quiet bar just around the corner from the complex Evolution were staying in. It was a classy looking joint from the outside, with some modern sculptures in the windows and a stylish colour scheme. The interior was also contemporary, with all manner of furnishings that could be regarded as trend setting. Despite the up market nature of the place, there could not have been more than five or six people inside.

Prior to entering the bar, Molly noticed that it was called 'La Mode'. She suspected that there was some sort of French theme going on and this was confirmed when the barman addressed Hunter and herself.

"Bonsoir, madame et monsieur." he said enthusiastically, "Bienvenue à notre établissement."

Hunter frowned and looked over towards Molly, who grinned at his bewilderment. She decided to make life a little easier for him, by asking the barman a simple question.

"Merci beaucoup," she replied with a smile, "parlez-vous Anglais?"

The young Frenchman behind the bar acknowledged her query with a nod of the head and picked up on the reasoning for the question. He faced Hunter and re-addressed him.

"Sorry sir, I was welcoming you and your wonderful wife to 'ze establishment." he said, fumbling slightly with his English. Both Molly and Hunter tried to correct his mistake at the same time.

"We are not..."

They each stopped and stared at one another. They didn't need to say anything, they figured it wasn't such a big deal and let the error slide. Hunter seemed more preoccupied with getting a drink.

"Any chance of getting a beer?" he asked.

"Of course. What would sir like?"

Hunter wasn't particularly thrilled about being called sir, as he checked out the selection of aperitifs that were available. Evolution usually thrived on being champagne guzzlers, but for one night he fancied slumming it some what.

"I'll have a beer. Molls, what are you drinking?"

She had a quick look at what was on offer, not really seeing anything she fancied. Without putting too much thought into it, she took the easy way out and opted for whatever Hunter was on.

"A beer will be fine."

The barman served up two bottles of chilled lager and placed them onto a tray on top of the bar. Hunter handed Molly her bottle and picked his up, before motioning over to a table in the corner of the room. No sooner had he begun to move, the barman apprehended him.

"Is sir going to pay for his drinks?"

Hunter halted and looked over at the young man, stony faced. "Do you know who I am? Sir will pay for his drinks, when sir is finished."

The barman saw the twisted expression on Hunter's face and scuttled away with his tail between his legs. Hunter didn't look like the kind of man to infuriate.

"What was all that about?" Molly inquired.

"That little punk asked for it. He does realise he is in America doesn't he? We speak English over here." he replied irritably. "Anyway, I didn't know you spoke Spanish?"

"French." Molly corrected him, "There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

"Sounds intriguing," Hunter responded, as they reached the table and sat down. "Tell me more."

Molly took a small swig from her bottle and then placed it down on the table. Normally she was very reserved about disclosing details of her past or any aspect of her private life, but with Hunter she felt a discernible comfort level. "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning is usually good." Hunter replied dryly. Molly appreciated his wit and giggled. "How did you get into wrestling?" he quizzed.

"Okay, if you're sure... I was born and raised in Minnesota, but the Holly family's roots have always been in Alabama. After I graduated, I went down there to live with my cousins... Bob and Mikey."

"Mikey?" Hunter asked. He knew Bob was Hardcore Holly, but didn't recognize the name Mikey.

"Crash." Molly said sadly, dwelling for a moment to kiss the cross pendant hung around her neck. Hunter realised he'd stepped in something, but Molly prevented him from feeling bad about it. "It's okay... I mean I miss him, but life has to go on. I am comforted by the knowledge that he's smiling on me from heaven."

Hunter held up his bottle as a toast to her dear departed cousin, which Molly smiled and accepted. She acknowledged by clinking her bottle against his. Both took a mouthful of beer, and Molly continued her story.

"I didn't really have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. My parents had all these big plans of what they wanted me to do, but the one thing I did know was that I wanted to get to know the rest of my family a bit better. Living so far away, I only got to see them a couple times a year."

Hunter sat attentively, whilst knocking back his drink at a fair pace. Molly was alarmed to see how quickly he was consuming the alcohol; it was a pace she had no way of keeping up with. Hunter finished his first bottle and signaled towards the bar for another one to be brought over.

"You want another?" he asked Molly.

"Are you kidding me?" she replied, holding up her nearly full bottle for him to see.

"Ah... I see." he sniggered at her slow pace. "Carry on..."

Molly shook her head and resumed where she had left off. "Bob was always on the road with you guys, but Mikey and I spent a lot of time together. We we're cousins obviously, but everybody always thought of us as brother and sister. He looked after me."

"He was a good kid." Hunter said, paying tribute.

"Yes he was... He wanted to follow in Bob's footsteps, he'd had his heart set on becoming a pro wrestler from the first time he'd watched one of Bob's matches. I used to go along to training camps with him, to lend some moral support and keep him company. At that time I had no interest in doing the same thing... Becoming a wrestler that is."

"So, how did you?"

"It's a funny story actually... Mikey was booked to wrestle in a tag match at a show in... where was it now?" Molly pondered, trying to recall the location of the event, "Florida I think... That's right, we were on vacation down there and he managed to get a spot on a show that was running one weekend." She paused at that point to drink some more of her beer, and then carried on.

"His partner didn't show up. There must have been over a hundred people watching this event, and he was pumped to perform that night. A hundred people seemed like a lot back then!" Molly chuckled, fondly remembering the night in question. "So, he took me to one side and said something like... 'You're teaming with me tonight.' I was shocked to say the least."

Hunter seemed to be captivated by her narrative, all the while continuing to consume lager at an alarming rate. "What happened?"

"I told him no way, so he went away and sulked. He always used to do that, he had this way of making me feel bad if he couldn't get his own way. Needless to say, he made me feel so bad that I told him I'd do it. I'd never wrestled seriously in my life and was scared to death. Our opponents were like... huge."

"Well... they didn't kill you obviously." Hunter pointed out.

"Thankfully, no they didn't. As it turned out, I was a natural... Like a duck to water. The promoters down there were amazed at how well I performed, especially when they found out that I'd never really wrestled before!"

"That's some crazy shit Molls."

"Sure was. My career was born on that night... I never did find out who the guy was who didn't show up. I guess I am grateful to him, whoever he is."

"So am I." Hunter said, with a sly grin on his face. Sharp as a tack, Molly waved away what she considered to be a corny line.

"Hey! I mean it!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, okay..." Molly joked. She found herself really enjoying Hunter's company. Away from the ring and the business, he came across as a totally regular guy with regular emotions. And she could find no way of ignoring his rugged good looks...

"Right, you gonna ask me any questions?" he asked, evidently keen to talk about himself. Molly should have known better than to expect him to sit listening to her for longer than five minutes. She started to drink at a steady pace; she drank a couple of mouthfuls of beer, whilst thinking of something to ask him.

"Let me see..." she deliberated. "I could ask you the same question you asked me... But I've seen your DVD, so I know the answer to that one."

Hunter nearly choked on his drink, when he heard her mention that she had watched his career compilation. "You've cough watched my DVD?"

"Of course." she said, not believing it to be a big deal. "Come to think of it, there is something I would like to know."

"Fire away."

"Why me?"

Hunter frowned at her vague question. "What do you mean?"

"Evolution. Why did you pick me?"

Hunter finished his second bottle and tried to change the subject. "You finished that beer yet?"

Molly had a look and felt pressured into guzzling the few mouthfuls that remained in her bottle. Hunter teased her by clapping, whilst gesturing for another couple of drinks to be brought over.

"You're going to regret it when you end up having to carry me home, Mr. Helmsley." she jibed.

"I'll live with that, Miss Holly." he came back.

"Flattery will get you nowhere... Besides, you are not getting out of answering my question." she informed him.

"Do I have to?" he sighed, and Molly nodded. "Okay, where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning is usually good." The alcohol in her bloodstream did not seem to slow up Molly's reactions at all, as she copied Hunter's response from earlier.

"Very good, you got me..." he commended her. "Why did we recruit you? Hmm... First off, 'we' didn't recruit you... 'I' recruited you."

Molly shot him a puzzled expression, which led him to explain his statement.

"Vince asked me if I had a problem with inducting a female into Evolution. I was fine with idea, I actually liked it... But the other guys weren't so keen, especially Randy."

"Okay." Molly said, intrigued by the revelation.

"Vince asked me who I wanted to take on board. Trish... No thanks, been there done that." Molly scowled at the mention of her name. "Lita... Unreliable... Victoria... Headcase... and so on. You get the impression."

"Don't get me started." Molly warned.

"Well, on the night you won the title, I saw you confront that Asian chick. I hadn't even considered you, but I liked what I saw."

"Really?"

"Yes. I headed straight for Bischoff's office and told him to put you in a title match. He seemed a little pissed, because you were late or something and that there was no way he could give you a title match. Let's just say I gave him a little gentle persuasion."

Molly found herself engrossed in his explanation. "Keep going."

"Do you remember walking past us in the corridor?"

"How could I forget... You have no idea how intimidating you four are!"

"The other guys ribbed me about letting you through... Well, they had a shock when I told them later that you were going to be joining us."

Her curiosity peaked at this point. "What did they say?"

"Ric didn't say a word. He does that when he's not happy about something. Randy... He said something like 'we don't need a diva, and we sure as hell don't need Molly Holly!' I think those were his words."

"Thought as much." Molly said, grimacing about the damning evidence presented against Orton. "What about Dave?"

"Batista? He was actually pretty cool about it. He was only too willing to help you win that title, he was buzzing when he returned to the locker room after your match. I'm telling you, he really admires you."

"I've noticed." Molly said, casting her mind back to some of the events that had transpired earlier in the day. Too much else had happened, for her to make any sense of that situation.

They continued to chat for a good hour or so, about a variety of subjects. Most of the chat was not work related; they talked about current affairs, likes and dislikes and some other menial stuff. Molly was so into the conversation, she hadn't noticed how quickly she was drinking. In no time at all she was onto her fifth bottle and beginning to feel tipsy. It was probably not the best time for Hunter to bring up the subject of her altercation with Randy Orton...

"So, what was the deal with you and Randy earlier on?" he asked, out of the blue.

Molly didn't find any resistance to ignore the issue and tackled it head on. "He's a jackass!" she slurred in a raised voice, attracting attention from the limited clientele still present in the bar.

"Huh?"

"You summed it up earlier, he hates me... And I hate him!"

Hunter realised that Molly had maybe had too much to drink; though he was at a loss to understand how anyone could be drunk after four and a half bottles of lager. His taunting earlier had prompted her to speed up and that had proven to be a mistake.

"Okay, I get the message." he said, holding a hand up to halt further ranting. It was a futile gesture.

"Do you? I said I hate him!" she repeated.

Hunter picked up on the sets of eyes glancing in their direction, and decided it would be wise if they made a move; before Molly made a bigger spectacle of herself.

"Perhaps we should get going Molls, its getting late." he suggested.

"What?! So soon? I'm enjoying myself though!" she said giddily.

"I think its closing time." Hunter lied, hoping she would go along with him.

"Is it? Oh... okay." she said innocently, she was away with the faeries. Hunter helped her up from her seat, as she stumbled light headedly away from the table. Hunter left sufficient funds to cover the cost of the drinks they had consumed, and then some. He held on to Molly's arm and guided her shaky frame towards the exit, trying to hide his embarrassment of the situation.

As they left the bar, they were met by fine drizzle falling from the cool night sky. The fresh air hit Molly and startled her somewhat. She nearly tripped as the fuzziness in her head affected her balance; fortunately Hunter caught her and prevented a painful tumble.

She gazed dreamily into the eyes of her saviour, and felt the compulsive urge to kiss him. Such a spontaneous reaction would never happen whilst she was sober, but the alcohol in her system skewed with any logic. She sprung on the unsuspecting Hunter, planting her lips on his.

He was as startled as she had been when he had pulled a similar stunt earlier, but soon found himself caught up in the emotion of the moment. He didn't want to take advantage of the drunken Molly, but found the passion eat him up to the point where he couldn't resist getting into it. He caressed her bottom lip, sucking away contentedly, before he went one step further and probed her oral cavity. His tongue playfully tangled with hers, causing her to let out a low moan. She felt his hands slide down to her hips, then round to her back, massaging her tenderly.

After over thirty seconds of fervent kissing, Molly reluctantly broke away. Despite not being in total control of her actions, at that time she felt good about what she had just done. Hunter had impressed her all evening, and she wanted to show him how much she appreciated his company.

"Thank you... for this evening... and everything." she said in a muddled manner.

Hunter simply smiled and brought her in closer to his body, shielding her from the rain and cold. "The pleasure's all mine Molls... Now let's get you back to the penthouse..."

.........................................................................................................................................

A/N: I'm taking a break on this fic now, but fear not... I am not ditching it. I have another project I'm keen to work on and need to freshen up my ideas for Evolving. Thanks to all of you who are into this fic, normal service will be resumed soon. :)


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